Twilight's Symphony
by Kendra Luehr
Summary: Sequel to The Shadows of DeathSxF have had some rough times, but now've come to love eachother fully. Just when it seems they're on cloud 9, fate threatens to tear them apart. I've seriously made all of my reviewers cry, so you've been warned.Lemon x 2
1. Trouble With Faye

Theme Song: Linkin Park's "Somewhere I Belong"  
  
  
CH 1  
"Vhat?! Impossible!"  
"Listen to me, Kostian, I know that this sounds crazy, but we ARE escaping!," Veronica hissed forcefully into her hidden communication device within her gold watch. "Don't you want to be free again, and better yet, don't you want to get back at that bastard, Spike Spiegel?!"  
"Vell yes, but-"  
"Can't you just SEE the headlines?! It'll be international news: Veronica Stiles and Kostian Van Chlokavich.....the murderers of the seemingly indestructible Spike Spiegel!," Veronica interrupted enthusiastically, her eyes shimmering with an unrequited bloody-thirsty yearning as her crimson lips curled up into a sadistic smirk.  
Kostian sat back in his bunk with anxiety, rubbing the blonde whiskers on his chin before replying tentatively into his watch, "Sounds vonderful, my dear. Vhen do we make this......escape?"  
Veronica's ebony-brown eyes flashed over, her lips curling up into a sinister smirk as she drew the watch up to her mouth and whispered in a voice so cold that it could freeze the night air about her, "Tonight, my dear Kostian.......tonight." **************************************************************************** **********************  
"...that's right, Judy! Veronica Stiles and Kostian Van Chlokavich are on the loose!"  
Spike instantly spewed out his whiskey in pure astonishment, sputtering urgently, "Bartender.....turn it up!"  
The bald, elderly man did as he was told, admiring Judy's risque', snug-fitting outfit to a nauseating degree of perversity as Punch continued, "...the police have no leads as to where these criminals are, but what we DO know is that they are considered to be armed and dangerous, so be careful, mis amigos!"  
"And we're counting on YOU GUYS to get them back alive, cuz if they die, no woolongs for yoooou!," Judy cooed in a teaseful manner, making sure to give the camera a seductive wink.  
"The bounty for these two crooks is 100 million woolongs a piece....not bad, eh?," Punch added, grinning from ear to ear as Judy held up their pictures for the camera to see. "Veronica Stiles is 5'1" with a caramel-colored skin tone, freckles, dark brown eyes, and black hair. For additional information, it has been reported that she has a guardian angel tattooed on her right shoulder and that she calls many by the name of "hun". Kostian Van Chlokavich is a Russian assassin with a thick Russian accent-"  
"DUH!"  
"Shut up, Judy!," Punch barked with a deep, unanticipated bite to his tone. Receiving awkward glances from the camera crew, he edgily cleared his throat, then continued, "ANYWAY, Mr. Van Chlokavich has fair blonde hair, deep blue eyes, and a distinctive scar beneath his left eye due to a rough knife fight that he had gotten himself into at age 15. It is pretty safe to say that he won, so I again warn you, mis amigos...BE CAREFUL!"  
"OOOH, he is SOOO cute!!!," Judy swooned, placing her right hand over her heart as she continued to ogle over the picture of the young man in her hand. "Do you think that he has a girlfriend, Punch?"  
He snorted. "Big Shot is now officially OVER, so go out there and do justice, you bounty hunters! Adios!"  
Spike grunted, placing a half-used cigarette between his lips and puffing on it furiously, his brow knitting up in disdain as he realized, "They've returned........those smarmy fags have actually come back for more."  
"Something wrong?"  
Spike looked up in anticipation, only to see none other than Faye Valentine standing before him, a wry smile twisting up her crimson lips as she placed a delicate fair-skinned hand upon her hip.  
He smirked. "Hey.....didn't think you'd make it."  
Her smile only widened as she had a seat beside him and gave his cheek an affectionate kiss, replying slyly, "Of course I would! Why on earth would a girl pass up the offer for a free drink?"  
"Who says it's free?"  
Faye's smile melted. "You're not serious."  
"No, you're right.....I'm not," Spike acknowledged, grinning. "It's just that you're so cute when you get mad."  
Faye blushed as red as a cherry blossom, averting her gentle gaze from his as she replied numbly, "Oh.........ok."  
"Hey, what's wrong?," Spike demanded, his smile instantly fading as he looked his dejected comrade over with concern. "It's not somethin' I said......is it?"  
"No.......it's not you," Faye assured him softly, her beautifully manicured fingers tracing over the deep gashes within the cedar wood of the bar table with disinterest. "It's just that-that I got to thinking........what if I had never gotten into my accident? What if I had never been cryogenically frozen in a deep sleep and then was awakened in the year 2071? Would I have even met you? Would I have ever found love and have had a child as beautiful as Aurora was?"  
Spike smirked, replying dryly, "Well no offense or anything, but the answer to your last two questions are definitely no. I mean, there's no way in hell that I'd have been interested in an old bag that was born way before the year 2000, let alone have a freakin' kid with her."  
"ASS!," Faye wailed, shooting up from the bar stool as she burst into tears, her heart shattering in bewilderment as his hurtful words began to seep in and take their full effect. "Why the fuck are you interested in me NOW, then?! Technically, I AM an old bag, but I was preserved at the age I was when the accident occured!!! What are you trying to say, Spike?! That you don't love me anymore?!!"  
Spike's smirk instantly faded. "Sorry....I-I just.......sorry."  
Faye gaped at him in sheer bewilderment, then shook her head dejectedly, tears stinging along her lashes as she hissed, "Whatever.......your apology sucked, so I'm going back to the Bebop!"  
"Fine....I'm not standin' in your way," Spike agreed sharply, a painful twinge of guilt burying its way within the depths of his stubborn heart as he watched his love storm out of the bar in a haughty huff, her violet hair swishing freely about her face due to the fact that she had torn her yellow headband off in frustration.  
Spike sighed, downing the rest of his whiskey in one forceful swig as the bartender pried nosily, "Women trouble?"  
Spike, extremely agitated, slammed down his empty shot glass, growling, "It's none of your damn business, old man! Your job is to pour the freakin' drinks, not to be a goddamn psychologist!!!"  
The bartender held his hands up in surrender, grumbling sourly, "Ok, SORRY! I was just tryin' to help ya out a bit."  
"Yeah? Well I'm sorry, but you're not....I plan on marrying that girl someday, and there's sure as hell nothing that you could do to possibly convince her to go through with such a thing," Spike muttered, placing the now almost completely used cigarette between his lips in disgust.  
"Yeah, 'specially since you're a low-life bastard," the bartender muttered in agreement under his foul, whiskey-scented breath. "The poor woman must be confused beyond all words of common sense." **************************************************************************** **********************  
"What am I to him, anyway?," Faye wondered miserably, wiping away at her tears as she continued to gaze into her bedroom mirror at her reflection in disdain. "A piece of ass like every other man thinks? An easy ticket into bed? Does he even truly LOVE me?!"  
Knock! Knock! Knock!  
Faye gasped, immediately shooting up from her bed as she demanded warily, "Spike.....is that you? If so, go away! I don't want to talk to you.....in fact, maybe I never want to talk to you AGAIN!!!"  
There was a slight pause, then a small voice replied softly, "No, Miss Valentine....it's Tracey. Can I come in? It's rather important."  
"Yeah.......sure," Faye agreed heavily, her spirits clearly dejected as she slumped back down onto her bed like a loose liquid.  
Tracey tentatively entered the room, then shut the door behind her, beginning softly, "It has come to my attention that Mr. Spiegel has not been truly upfront with all matters towards you."  
"Meaning what?," Faye demanded, eyeing her with suspicion.  
Tracey, noticing her comrade's sudden irascible manner, acknowledged quickly, "Oh, well...uh...what I mean, Miss Valentine, is that Veronica and Kostian have apparently escaped prison, yet he has disregarded the urge to tell you so. I found this out from Ayame, who was snooping around with Spike's electronic planner. Apparently every day this week has been booked for capturing those two."  
Faye frowned. "That still doesn't explain why Spike hasn't told me. I'm his girlfriend, for God's sake! We're supposed to TRUST each other!!!'  
"Perhaps he's acting out of love," Tracey offered softly. "That's what most men tend to do, after all."  
Faye snorted. "Yeah? Well Spike ISN'T most men! He's not exactly the type for such upfront generosity, even though he HAS had his moments. He tends to be reserved in general, so I don't even know why this whole situation comes as a surprise to me, anyway."  
Tracey let out a heavy sigh, averting her soft, gentle gaze down to her large, glossy black boots as she mumbled, "With all do respects, Miss Valentine, Mr. Spiegel reminds me of my dear, departed Travis. Both are strong and show their affection by subtle means, fore it is not in their nature to be so abroad with their undying love. Even if this may be upsetting to you, when you both are alone, I am sure that he would try to make every moment nothing less than magic for you. I honestly, truly believe that Spike is protecting you, Miss Valentine........he loves you."  
Faye's gaze blurred over with tears, a small whimper escaping her throat as she murmured whistfully, "I hope you're right, Tracey.....I honestly don't know what I'd do without him."  
Tracey gave her a small smile, then gave her shoulder a gentle pat, replying, "I'd love to stay and help you out, Miss Valentine, but Spike has requested for me to go into town for some groceries. I'll be back in a bit."  
"Oh, ok," Faye agreed, thinking nothing of the situation at hand. "Hurry back."  
"That I will," Tracey agreed, cheerfully humming a lulling tune as she opened up the door and closed it behind her with a loud and final click. **************************************************************************** **********************  
Tracey shivered, letting out a weary sigh due to the night's deep stresses, the blustery wind continuing to snatch at her leather jacket like possessive fingers as she ambled along down the sidewalk within the obscure, dreary town of Kanza.  
Scrrrritch.  
She gasped, stopping dead in her tracks, her pale blue-gray irises enhancing her distending ebony pupils as she began to tremble, her breath instantly catching in her throat as she suddenly found it very hard to breathe in the cool air around her.  
Straining to hear, Tracey looked about her wildly with the frantic hope of catching sight of the culprit who was the owner of the eerie noise, only finding the silence of the night greeting her ears with an unbearable derisive tone of mockery upon its frequent shrill winds.  
"This is getting ridiculous," she thought, shaking her head in disgust as she pulled her jacket closer about her delicate frame and continued on her way towards the small grocery store that was supposedly just two more blocks ahead. "I can't believe it....here I am, 21 years old, and I'm ALREADY hearing things."  
Just as Tracey passed by an overcast alley, a silent figure appeared within the depths of the misty shroud that it bestowed, its movements swift and fluent as it slowly followed the young woman down the cracked pavement, making extra care not to bring attention to itself.  
Suddenly, Tracey stopped, feeling a presence that deeply bothered her.  
"What could it be?," she asked herself aloud, a cold sweat prickling upon her brow as she tremulously re-adjusted her black purse upon her shoulder. "Am I going crazy? There's clearly no one here!"  
"Yes, my dear....there's only me," a cold, harsh voice announced from behind.  
Before Tracey could respond in time, a rag drenched with chloroform was pressed up roughly against her nose, her eyelids growing heavy as she let out a weary gasp and crumpled down to the sidewalk into a deep, unconscious sleep. **************************************************************************** **********************  
SMACK!  
"WAKE UP, YOU GUTLESS WENCH!!!"  
Tracey immediately jolted awake in surprise, a deep shade of scarlet rapidly spreading its way across her cheek from where she had been so ruthlessly struck. "Who.......wha?"  
"Listen, you traitor, and listen good.....I have had it up to HERE with your loyalty towards Mr. Spiegel so I am not asking for you to join me, I am DEMANDING it!!!," Veronica hissed, seizing her ex-comrade by the shoulders and giving her a dictatorial shake. "I mean, my GOD, Tracey, don't you realize how damn wonderful things would be if we'd FINALLY annihilate Spike Spiegel?!"  
"What are you talking about, Veronica?!," Tracey demanded, sending her nemesis such a fiery, piercing gaze that it seemed to excavate the very bowels of her deep, coal-black irises. "Spike is a very sweet, honorable man! I could NEVER kill him and you damn well can't make me!!!"  
Veronica gave her a venomous smirk, placing a hand on her hip as she replied acidically, "Apparently I had a very good reason to doubt that you would come through for me. Kostian is far too trusting, while I, on the other hand, trust NO one. Now that you are fully aware of my plans to assassinate Spike Spiegel, my dear Miss Baldwin, I have no other choice but to kill you."  
Tracey gasped, the blue-gray waves of the raging sea below the cliff that they were currently occupying crashing about like deep blasts of thunder, her soft voice quivering as she choked audaciously, "Th-then do as you must, fore I will never, EVER betray Mr. Spiegel or Miss Valentine! I have learned to hold them dear as close friends, unlike YOU, you nefarious snake!!!"  
Veronica's smile melted off of her lips like a blob of misshapened candle wax, her mouth continuing to twist about as if she were sucking on an extremely sour lemon. After regaining her composure, she demanded sharply, "Is that your final answer?"  
Tracey bit her lip, nodding. "Yes, Miss Stiles, it most certainly is."  
"Then may God rest your soul," Veronica acknowledged stiffly in a voice barely above a whisper, motioning towards Kostian to carry out her ex- comrade's death sentence.  
The dutiful young man nodded, then somberly eased Tracey up into his arms and held her high above his head, the young woman squeezing her eyes shut as the ocean continued to taunt her with its terrifyingly rapacious roars.  
Within moments, Kostian had thrusted the young woman out into the cool, misty night air over the ocean, a sharp cry escaping forth from her rosy lips as she began to plummet down towards the depths of the seemingly never-ending ethereal abyss below, the wind whipping through her hair as a vision of her dear, sweet Jason appeared before her eyes, causing her to wear a peaceful smile as she finally came in contact with the adamant cruel surface below.  
"Adios, cowgirl," Veronica breathed, shaking her head in disgust as she refused to look down towards the body of water beneath her. "Just remember that your death was caused by your own foolishness of becoming a goddamn bounty huntress......my one enemy.......my one true hate."  
"It appears that she has hit zee rocks below," Kostian announced softly, immediately averting his gaze from the unforgivable crime as he respectfully took off his cap. "I know that it may seem rather veird, madame, but she appeared to be very peaceful and at rest......happy, even."  
"Well good for her!," Veronica hissed, a deep rancor fluctuating within the tremors of her voice. "Put your damn cap back on.....this isn't someone who deserves such reverence!"  
"But-but madame-"  
"How DARE you defy me!," Veronica bellowed, pointing an accusing figure towards his being in distaste. "You will do as I say, so come! We have much to do!"  
Kostian let out an inaudible growl, trudging after his accomplice as the moon seemed to cast a denuciative beam down upon the partners in crime, thus leaving them stained with the indelible sin that they had so ruthlessly committed. **************************************************************************** **********************  
As soon as Spike entered the Bebop, he instantly knew that something was very wrong. Edward was not dancing around the halls, Faye was not bitching about being hungry, and the other two young women weren't in sight.  
"Faye?," he called uneasily, clearing his throat as he took a tentative step forward. "I came back and I.......I wanna apologize for earlier....."  
"Oh, Mr. Spiegel!," a wretched voice lamented, Ayame immediately appearing in the doorway as rivers of liquid crystal tears continued to rain down her flushed cheeks like a heavy storm. "She's dead! OH, SHE'S DEAD!!!"  
Spike gasped. "Faye.....WHAT?!"  
Ayame tearfully shook her head, letting out a pitiful whimper as she wailed in contradiction, "NO, Mr. Spiegel! It's Tracey! A few hours before your arrival she sent me an urgent message over the communicator warning me about Veronica and Kostian.....but then.....she fizzled out and I couldn't read her position! She said she was falling and.....OH, GOD!!!"  
Spike snorted, his fists clenching tautly by his sides as he hissed in disdain, "Don't you worry, Ayame......that bitch will pay with her MISERABLE LIFE!!!" 


	2. Another Day, Another Murder

CH 2  
  
After the devastating news of last night, Spike had immediately retired to his sleeping quarters. He had desperately wanted to speak with Faye upon his arrival, but he had just assumed that she was grieving and wanted some space and time alone.  
  
Now that it was bright and early, however, Spike decided to pay a visit to his most likely disgruntled lover. Once he entered her sleeping quarters, he instantly knew that something was wrong due to her scattered belongings all about the room and the many items that were left in disarray.  
  
Suddenly, a tiny piece of white paper attached to the back of a chair caught his eye, thus causing him to immediately rush over to it and remove it from the piece of oak furniture. Unfolding the small note in his hand he read:  
  
Dearest Spike,  
  
I've decided to take the cowardly way out of our little mess and just run away from it all to Jupiter, where I will hopefully meet up with some old friends. Please don't come looking for me, fore this decision is mine and mine alone. Don't be mad at me, sweetheart......everything should turn out alright in the end.  
  
Devotedly Yours,  
  
Faye  
  
P.S. Yes, I AM still mad at you.   
  
  
  
Spike sighed, dejectedly bowing his head as he crumpled up the tiny note within his fist, the sound of its destruction somehow bringing comfort to his miserable being.  
  
"She hates me," he realized, mournfully shaking his head. "I don't care WHAT she says....I HAVE to get her back if I want for her to remain my lover! I'M GOIN' AFTER HER, GODDAMMIT!!!"  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************   
  
Ayame let out a dismal sigh, puffing on a well-deserved cigarette as she grumbled in disgust to no one in particular, "Well aren't I the procrastinator? Months ago I wouldn't have even TOUCHED this cancerous shit."  
  
"Your man givin' you trouble?," the nosy bartender pried, sending her a brief glance of interest as he continued to wipe away the grimy film from a filthy mug.  
  
Ayame snorted. "No....I don't HAVE a man! M-my friend was murdered."  
  
"Gee, that sucks," the bartender acknowledged softly. "Here, have another drink.....it's on the house."  
  
Ayame stared back at him dully, her warm, chocolate-brown irises blearing over as she murmured a small thank you and lifted the foamy alcohol up to her lips, downing it almost instantly.  
  
"Whoa, lady...be careful with that!," the bartender warned, his eyes widening with concern as the young woman before him gave a hiccup and pushed back her fawn-colored hair over her shoulders with a deep sense of disinterest. "You don't wanna end up gettin' a bad case of alcoholism, now, do ya?"  
  
Ayame shrugged bitterly. "I don't care......I'm not as think as you drunk I am."  
  
The bartender sighed, shaking his head and setting down the now clean mug onto the bar table as he muttered, "If you insist, lady."  
  
"'Course I do....I'm da boss!," Ayame slurred, giving him a small smile. "Thanks a bunch for the free drink, Mac."  
  
"Sure....any time," the bartender replied softly, watching after the tipsy young woman with concern as she gracelessly slipped off of her barstool and stumbled over towards the bar exit.  
  
As Ayame egressed out of the seedy bar and into the cool, crisp night air, neither she nor the bartender noticed a young colored woman with dark sunglasses and a black leather suit nod in acknowledgement towards a muscle- bound blonde, her partner immediately complying to the order and slyly heading over towards the bar exit and out into the baleful depths of the starless night.  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
Ayame had sobered up a bit and was beginning to feel the unpleasant effects as she continued to woozily pilot her zip craft through the dark and gloomy town of Airesville.  
  
Beep! Beep! Beep!  
  
"Damn...my fuel's low!," Ayame cursed softly, immediately easing her zip craft down over towards a field beside a road that appeared to be leading to the middle of nowhere.  
  
Lifting up the hatch she hopped out, landing in the grass with a subtle thud as she strode on over to the fuel cell compartment and eased it open, cursing under her breath when she realized that there wasn't near enough fuel to get her back to the Bebop.  
  
"Vould you like some help, madame?"  
  
Ayame gasped, looking up in astonishment to see a young couple in a black car that was pulled up directly beside her zip craft. Upon further examination, she let out a horrified shriek, exclaiming, "Kostian! Veronica!"  
  
"That's right, my dear," Kostian acknowledged, sending her a toothy grin as he and his comrade immediately got out of the car.  
  
"Don't come any closer!," Ayame warned, immediately withdrawing her gun from her hip holster and aiming it firmly at her one adversary and then the other. "I mean it....if you take another step, so help me God, I WILL fire!"  
  
"Such bold and brash words for a young, inexperienced bounty huntress such as yourself," Veronica commented coldly, taking a proud step forward that deeply confused Ayame. "Fire at will, my dear, fore we are not going to back down."  
  
Ayame trembled, clicking back the hammer to her firearm as she shifted her feet about in discomfort, her heart pounding like a crazed boxing glove within the cavity of her chest.  
  
Veronica smirked in triumph. "What's the matter, my dear old friend? Can't carry out a simple promise?"  
  
"Don't tempt me," Ayame warned, a sudden hint of rancor developing within the tremors of her resonating voice. "You killed Tracey.....WHY?!!!"  
  
"Because she refused to work with us....THAT'S why!," Veronica hissed simply, acting as if the whole ordeal were completely negligible. "You will end up like Miss Baldwin, as well, if you refuse to go by my proposition of annihilating Spike Spiegel!"  
  
Ayame lowered her gun down by her side, her gaze narrowing as she replied boldly, "My answer is no, Veronica. My heart remains true to my word sworn to my friends. I made an oath to Mr. Spiegel swearing to never betray him for any given reason, no matter WHAT the cost. I am sorry, but I would much rather die than turn my back on my fellow teammates like you are requesting."  
  
Veronica frowned, lifting her gun up before her as she hissed icily, "I'm sorry, too."  
  
BANG!  
  
Ayame gasped, moaning in pain as she crumpled down to her knees and clutched her stomach in sheer agony, her innards retching as she began to cough up copious globules of scarlet onto the grassy plane beneath her.  
  
"Finish the job, Kostian," Veronica ordered, blowing the curling, wispy gray smoke from the nozzle of her firearm as her comrade obediently removed a sharp blade forth from his utility belt and approached their fallen adversary within an aura of sheer truculence.  
  
Seizing her by the hair, Kostian yanked back her head, then placed the silver dagger up against her throat in a formidable fashion.  
  
"I'm coming, my dear sister," Ayame breathed, gazing up towards the stardust heavens through bleary eyes. "At last......I am coming."  
  
SLISH!  
  
Ayame choked, letting out a pained sigh as she collapsed into a heap, the deep incision upon her throat excreting blood like a steadfast river of never-ending scarlet.  
  
Veronica looked away from the body in disgust, muttering, "Come, Kostian......there's nothing more to see here."  
  
"Yes, madame," he acknowledged softly, opening up the car door for her before climbing in, as well; the tiny car speeding away as they left the unforgivable crime scene in the dust. 


	3. Love Springs Eternal

CH 3  
  
"GOD, I need a drink," Faye grumbled, removing her sunglasses from her fair face as she pushed open the door to the bar where she had first met Wertzy. "If I'm lucky, some goon will offer to buy me a drink."  
  
The sun's vibrant rays were immediately shut off from view as she casually slammed the door behind her, the dim bar's only source of light coming from various smokers and their lighters.  
  
Scanning her eyes across the room, Faye suddenly caught sight of a familiar hunched-over figure, the woman's auburn tresses trickling all the way down to the small of her back as she tapped her boot lightly against the wooden floor to the beat of the catchy jazz tune that was playing from the radio behind the counter.   
  
"Wertzy!," Faye exclaimed, deeply over-joyed to once more see her old friend.  
  
The young woman sent her an agitated look, which immediately softened, her wan features turning upward into a tired smile. "Hello, there, Faye......good to see ya. I honestly never thought that you'd be around these parts again."  
  
Faye shrugged, absently adjusting the purse on her shoulder as she replied nonchalantly, "I just felt like visiting your "second home", I suppose."  
  
Wertzy shot her a skeptical look as she sipped her brandy, suddenly deep in thought. As Faye slumped down onto the barstool beside her, she decided aloud, "You're lying."  
  
"Gee, nothing gets past you, huh?," Faye demanded sarcastically, burying her face in her hands as she began to rub her temples due to stress.  
  
Wertzy snorted, slamming her drink down onto the bar table as she snapped bitchily, "Well nice to see you, too! My GOD, Faye....just tell me what the hell's bothering you!"  
  
Faye glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, mumbling softly, "It's nothing.....I-"  
  
"That bull shit, and you know it!," Wertzy barked, pointing an accusing finger towards her friend's dejected form in disdain. "Quit makin' stuff up that won't give ya a lick of help.....just tell me the freakin' truth, dammitt!!!"  
  
Faye sighed, brushing back a strand of her soft violet hair as she returned dully, "It's Spike again.........that's all."  
  
"Well whaddaya know? 'Ol bush head's at it again!," Wertzy cracked, laughing hysterically as she gave her knee a hearty slap. "So tell me.....what'd he do to ya this time?"  
  
Faye sighed, venturing miserably, "Well, it all started when I told him that I wondered what my life would've been like if I hadn't been in my accident and.....and he basically just stated flat-out that we would've never been in love because he wouldn't fuck around with an old bag in the first place and-oh, Wertzy.....he hurt me SO much!!! I still love him, but....oh, I don't know WHAT to think anymore!!!"  
  
Wertzy shook her head in disgust. "GOD, if it's not one thing, it's another. I'll be frank with you, Faye.....your life SUCKS."  
  
"Tell me about it," she agreed miserably, resting her head down on her arms with displeasure. "What do you suggest I do?"  
  
Wertzy tossed back a spring of one of her auburn tresses, replying simply, "Forgive the bastard......Spike always comes through, no matter what. From what I've heard through your emails, he's not just fucking around with you. You've both pledged your love, so I'm still convinced that he's head-over-heels. Ya see, Spike wouldn't say that to just any girl that he might happen to meet.....she has to be real special to him in order for him to reveal his feelings all out in the open like that. He loves you, Faye, and if he comes looking for you, I rest my case."  
  
"But I told him not to come looking for me," Faye announced, letting out a shaky sigh as she placed a hand over her forehead in dismay. "If he's truly a devoted lover, he'll do as I say."  
  
"Ah! That's where you're WRONG!," Wertzy accused, wagging her finger about in disagreement. "If he truly IS a devoted lover, he'll come lookin' for ya, anyway!"  
  
Faye raised an eyebrow. "I-I don't understand."  
  
"If he truly loves you, he'll drop everything he's doing and come tearing through the galaxy with the sole purpose of finding you," Wertzy explained, finishing up her brandy with a flourish. "If I'm right, he's absolutely nuts about ya and you'd need an entire army to keep him away."  
  
Faye blushed, raising her gaze so that she could look at her friend as she asked with uncertainty, "You really think so?"  
  
Wertzy nodded. "Yeah, of course. Nothing could ever keep Spike away from what he loved."  
  
"I'm not sure if he loves me, anymore," Faye replied softly, abruptly casting her gaze down towards the scratched bar table top. "I don't even know why I came here in the first place..........I have nowhere to go."  
  
"Well then come stay with me," Wertzy invited with a small smile upon her permanently liquor-scented lips. "We can talk this over later and see what turns up....'specially since you don't seem to have a bounty on your hands this time."  
  
Faye winced. "I-I've given up bounty hunting for a while. That would just remind me of Spike, so.....I.....I've ditched it."  
  
"Oh, for GWOMAN!!! Don't just give everything up because of a MAN!!!," Wertzy scolded, clearly agitated as she began to wildly shake her head about back and forth in disgust. "You can't honestly say that you hate Spike, can ya? I mean....if you can't, why the hell are ya tryin' to push him out of your life completely?!"  
  
"You're right," Faye admitted softly, tears stinging about the corners of her jade eyes as slowly closed them in defeat. "I love him VERY much....I honestly don't know where I'd be without him."  
  
"There, ya see? If I were you, I'd wanna do as much as possible of what reminded me of the bush head," Wertzy advised, signaling to the bartender with impatience that she wanted another shot of brandy. "I swear, girl....you're just SO damn confusing! It's a freakin' miracle that Spike, the king of ALL lunkheads, can even understand a word that comes outta your dramatic mouth!"  
  
Faye giggled, returning softly, "I honestly think that we reach such a great level of understanding with one another because we're so alike. It's as if.....well......we were made for each other."  
  
Wertzy smirked. "That may very well be, but just as a warning, if you truly do love him, you'd better keep your possessive hooks in that man or else I'M movin' in. Hell, I've had a crush on that dump weed since we were introduced several years ago back in our college days!"  
  
"Well, since I DO love him, I guess that you're out of luck," Faye replied, laughing lightly. "He's ALL mine and I damn well plan on keeping it that way."  
  
Wertzy grinned. "NOW we're getting somewhere."  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
"Snake eyes."  
  
"NO! GODDAMMIT!!!"  
  
"Come to mama," Faye coaxed, pulling over her winnings from across the small coffee table in triumph. "This is my tenth winning streak.....wanna call it quits before you're flat broke?"  
  
Wertzy frowned, reaching about within the small depths of her pants' pockets as she frantically searched for a woolong or something of a fairly decent value. Finding only pocket lint, she sighed, grumbling in defeat, "I'm ALREADY flat broke.......I give up."  
  
Faye beamed, looking over her pile of woolongs, guns, and other sorts of trinkets with pleasure. "Thanks......it was real nice doing business with you. We should do this again, sometime."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Wertzy muttered, folding her arms with repugnance. "There's absolutely NO possible way that you coulda won EVERY SINGLE TIME!"  
  
"There's ALWAYS a way," Faye replied evasively, smirking smugly as she rotated her ankle so that her jeweled, gold anklet jingled, careful to make sure that the rigged dice didn't roll due to this gesture. "In fact-"  
  
Brrring!  
  
"Hold on a sec......I've got a phone call," Wertzy announced, somewhat relieved to escape the situation at hand before she was further plundered of her hard-earned possessions. Getting up from the couch, she strode over towards her telephone, then lifted it up off of the hook, demanding gruffly, "Hello?"  
  
"Wertzy?"  
  
She nodded. "Yeah, this is she.....who the hell wantsta know?"  
  
"Spike."  
  
Wertzy blanched, a sudden emotion of unexpected elation seeping within her being due to hearing her old friend's calming, rich voice. "S- Spike!," she managed to choke joyfully, causing Faye to turn as pale as a sheet. "I haven't heard your heavenly voice in MONTHS! To what do I owe the pleasure of speaking to the undefeatable Spike Spiegel?"  
  
He chuckled. "Don't go soft on me, Wertzy.....it's very unappealing next to your normal tough-assed attitude."  
  
"But I'm just-"  
  
"Is Faye there?," Spike cut in hopefully, suddenly rather impatient. "It's real important that I talk to her....ya see-"  
  
"Yeah, your lover's here," Wertzy acknowledged, smirking as she sensed him blush. "In you best interest, I think that you should get your skinny little anorexic ass down here to my place and talk to her! She's still very upset with you, ya clod!!!"  
  
Spike smirked despite her rather harsh remarks. "Gee, thanks......you always DID have a way with words."  
  
"Aw, shut up, ya wanker!," Wertzy shot back playfully, sensing his extreme pleasure in getting a rise out of her. "Just make sure that YOUR ass is in MY apartment by 5:00, alright?"  
  
"Alright," Spike agreed, casually taking a contented draw from his cigarette.  
  
"Good, see ya in 40."  
  
"Can't wait."  
  
Click. Beeeeeep.  
  
"The bastard hung up before I could!," Wertzy fumed, tossing the cordless phone aside in disgust. Noticing Faye's awkward expression upon her face, she explained, "It was always a game that we had goin', but I guess that you don't really care about that, huh?"  
  
Faye shrugged, giving her a good-natured smile despite her depressing feelings that were wallowing within her soul and threatening to suffocate her very existance into oblivion. "I guess not."  
  
"Well, whatever......he'll be over here in about 40 minutes, so I suggest that you primp up, or something," Wertzy advised, fluffing up a pillow on her couch as she slightly turned her back on her disgruntled companion. "I'm not saying that you need it, or anything, but it couldn't hurt."  
  
"I suppose," Faye agreed numbly, staring down at her feet in devastation.  
  
"No matter WHAT I look like, things will be Hell," she thought, hugging herself bitterly as Wertzy continued to spruce up the apartment. "I don't even know how I can FACE him after all of what we've been through!!!"  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
"Faye....HE'S HERE!"  
  
She whimpered, curling up in a ball on her bed with anxiety as diamond tears began to glisten upon her ebony lashes. "I can't talk to him," she whispered aloud to herself forcefully. "I CAN'T!"  
  
Knock! Knock! Knock!  
  
"Faye....DID YOU HEAR ME?!"  
  
Silence.  
  
Wertzy snorted with indignance, bellowing, "WELL TOO DAMN BAD IF YA DIDN'T, CUZ I'M LETTIN' HIM IN!!!"  
  
Faye squeezed her eyes shut with consternation as the door carefully swung open, a familiar blue dress shoe resting in the doorway as a tall, lanky figure casually followed.  
  
"Hey," was all he said.  
  
Faye decided not to say anything at all.  
  
Spike sighed in exasperation, running his fingers stressfully through his unruly mop of moss-green hair as he grumbled, "Look, Faye....I'm REALLY sorry about what I said earlier.....I was just playin' around. I admit that I was a major asshole and I swear to God that I've been kickin' myself ever since because I felt so damn guilty about the whole ordeal."  
  
"Yeah, right," Faye hissed, her usual lilting voice trembling with a delicate hint of rancor as she hugged her pillow close to her chest for comfort. "You may've not meant to have truly hurt me, Spike, but you DID! I doubted your love for me the very moment that you uttered those cruel, UNFORGIVABLE words!!!"  
  
"But Faye, I-"  
  
"Go! Get out!," she wailed, burying her face into her pillow as she let out a pained sob. "Just.......GO! We have nothing more to discuss!!!"  
  
The room was suddenly overcome by an intense veil of silence, both lovers instantly finding it very hard to breathe due to the deep tension within the air.  
  
As Faye continued to lay there with her face crammed against her pillow, a low shudder escaped her throat as she felt Spike's long, slender fingers gently caress her back, his lips immediately placing deep and passionate kisses along the nape of her neck as his strong arms began to cradle her delicate figure against his own.  
  
"Spike," she whimpered, tears pooling along her lashes as she felt him ease his body over top of her own, a dainty, rosy hue spreading its way across her porcelain cheeks as she felt him gently suck on the soft flesh of her shoulder, then caress it with his tongue as he continued to overpower her being with his tender love and affection. "Oh, Spike....please stop.............please."  
  
"But I love you......please let me hold you, Faye," he begged breathlessly into her ear, moaning into the softness of her violet hair as he buried his face against the nape of her neck. "I love you SO, incredibly much."  
  
A single prism-like tear dripped down upon her pillow like a rain droplet as Faye returned fervently, "Oh, Spike...I love you, too. My life is NOTHING without your presence!"  
  
Gasping inwardly, Faye squeezed her eyes shut due to a sudden wave of fear, realizing that she had said far too much as she rolled over in Spike's arms and gazed up into his mismatched, russet-colored eyes, a profound disposition of sensuality burning between the young couple as tingling sensations of deep passion began to soar throughout their bodies with an unrequited longing.  
  
"Then let me love you," Spike pleaded, cupping her radiant face in his gentle hands as he gazed into her brilliant jade eyes with a strong appetence that burned through the very core of his aching heart. "Let me have the honor of being the one whom you make complete."  
  
Faye's rosy lips trembled as his mouth gently caressed the nape of her neck, leaving her stunned with a lustful paralysis as she asked breathlessly, "So.....y-you're positive that you love me and ONLY me?"  
  
"Oh, yes," Spike moaned, leaving her body shaking as the kisses he bestowed upon her being only hightened in passion. "You've officially stolen my heart, Faye....there is no way that I can ever POSSIBLY get it back. I may just sound like a young, crazed fool, but by God......every time I gaze into you gorgeous eyes I....I feel this incredible longing that I just can't shake. I.....I guess what I'm trying to say is that....well.....I need you, Faye. I love you."  
  
Before she had time to reply, Spike pressed his warm lips passionately against her own, a spark of heat instantly igniting between the two as their kiss only deepened, Faye finding herself drowning amongst his intense passion that threatened to take her breath away.  
  
She let out a soft whimper as Spike began to pull away at the straps of her silky white nightgown, a subtle moan emerging forth from his lips due to the pleasure that his woman was like a soft, warm haven.  
  
Reaching down, he interlocked his hand in hers and squeezed it tightly, sighing breathlessly into the nape of her neck as Faye gently ran her fingers thorugh his wavy hair, a light blush creeping across her cheeks as she felt Spike's physical desire through his pants as he began to try to get closer to her, his lustful cries of passion only enhancing his deep longing.  
  
Faye let out a moan of desire, which was soon muffled as Spike placed his lips over top of her own and allowed his tongue to gently glide into her open mouth, their lust and lechery mounting with each tender touch and caress.  
  
"I can't help but love him," Faye realized, letting out a soft whimper as she felt Spike carefully lift her nightgown up and over her head, his lips immediately burning down the small valley between her breasts like a raging fire. "I need him....there's no way that I can possibly ever live without him."  
  
"I can't take it anymore," Spike moaned, his voice strained with desire. "I have to feel you in the most intimate way that we can share."  
  
Faye gave him a frightened look. "But Spike....we just-"  
  
"Please," he begged, placing a gentle kiss upon her forehead as he cradled her body against his heaving chest in longing. "If you don't want this....I-I understand.....it's just that I haven't held you in SO long and- and I just don't think that I can take living without your touch a moment longer."  
  
"Nor I without yours," Faye admitted breathlessly, closing her eyes as she rested her forehead against his own, sighing gently as she felt him move away from her just like the very first time that they had made love....true love. Not the need and desire that they had had during their one-night-stand.  
  
The moment that he returned to her, however, a sudden emotion of sheer guilt and horrible dread seeped its way within her being as she realized, "I really, truly AM a whore.....how could I have possibly allowed myself to be seduced so easily? Sure, I love him, but all of this just seems SO wrong."  
  
"No," Faye ordered, pushing him away as she averted her glistening gaze from his. "We can't."  
  
Spike's body tensed up in frustration as he mumbled softly, "Al- alright, sweetheart....I respect your feelings, so if that's what you truly want, then I'm all for it."  
  
Faye bit her lip, nodding. "Yes..................oh, GOD, Spike, you feel SO good to me, yet this all seems SO horribly WRONG! It's as if you're using me to cure you of your sexual cravings since you've lost both Julia and Kelly! I'm sorry, but I am NOBODY'S ho!"  
  
"And you never will be," Spike assured her in a hushed whisper, his long, slender fingers gently brushing back the soft violet whisps of hair that laid carelessly strewn across her beautiful features. "I understand why you'd think that I'm using you, but I swear to God, Faye, I would much rather be shot and killed than perform such an unforgivable sin upon your sweet being. I need and love you so much......more than you'll ever know."  
  
Warm tears pooled beneath her jade eyes as she asked in a shaky whisper, "Y-you're not lying to me..........are you?"  
  
He firmly shook his head. "No........never."  
  
Faye smiled, letting out a soft whimper as Spike gently pressed his warm, satin lips against her own and held her close, the comforting thought that she loved and was loved in return cradling her in adoration until she drifted off into the serene depths of sleep.OD'S SAKE, 


	4. Love Makes One Do Crazy Things

CH 4  
  
Faye awoke to find herself wrapped up securely within Spike's strong arms, his lips at her ear as if he had been praising her and their undying love all through night, even in his sleep.  
  
She smiled, gently kissing his forehead as she tried her best to escape his comforting embrace without waking him, which she succeeded in doing.  
  
A bright, neon red light flashed on and off repeatedly from the answering machine, so Faye gingerly approached it and turned down the volume, then pressed the play button and listened: "Hello, Spike.....this is Veronica Stiles. I just happened to be in the neighborhood, so I was wondering if maybe you'd wanna get together? Hmm? Yes...it'll be a fair fight, I believe....as long as you bring you and ONLY you. I will be in Jansford on 34th street. Be there no later than noon.....tah!"  
  
Faye gasped, her shimmering jade irises trembling amidst the pale morning light as she slowly backed away from the answering machine in fear, breathing aloud, "No....she can't! I won't let her hurt my beloved Spike!"  
  
Turning her attention over to the sleeping form wrapped up securely within the sheets to her bed, she whispered fervently, "Don't worry, Spike.....I'll go in your place. Everything will be alright in the end.......I promise."  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
"It's 12:35.....where IS she?!," Faye wondered with severe impatience, tapping her white boot against the pavement in disgust. "I'M on time, for God's sake, so where is SHE?!"  
  
"Are you ALWAYS this easy to find, or do you just have a blatant tendency to stick out like a sore thumb?"  
  
Faye gasped, completely caught by surprise as she felt herself freeze in alarm, her brow knitting together in disdain as her heart began to beat like a hollow drum full of consternation. Her acute sense of hearing had immediately recognized the mocking, syrupy-sweet voice as one who definitely wasn't a comrade.  
  
"Well aren't you going to at least acknowledge my presence?," the indignant being demanded, suddenly very irritated. "I know you and you know me....TURN AROUND!!!"  
  
Taking a deep breath, Faye did as she was told, slowly rotating on her heel as she shifted around to face a leather-clad woman wearing a dark pair of sunglasses, a fake smile plastered upon her face that made her appear even more intimidating than usual.  
  
"Veronica," Faye breathed, taking a step back as she realized that her fear had been correct. "You-"  
  
"Yes, I'm late," Veronica admitted, her crimson lips curling up into a devious smirk as she placed a beautifully-manicured hand upon her hip. "You don't look like Spike, though, I must admit. It appears that he sent his lovely girlfriend out to do his bidding, instead. Imagine that."  
  
Faye grunted, immediately withdrawing her gun from its holster and aiming it directly between her adversary's eyes as she spat, "I came here on my own accord, you selfish bitch! Spike has NOTHING to do with this! I am the one here right now, so it is ME that you will fight!"   
  
Veronica's smile melted, her brow knitting together as she hissed with a deep emnity, "Then prepare to DIE, wench!"  
  
BANG! BANG! BANG!  
  
Veronica immediately evaded the incoming shower of bullets, performing two perfect cartwheels in order to escape from harm as sparks flew about her in an angry haze due to the ammo coming in contact with their bleak surroundings.  
  
"Damn!," Faye cursed softly under her breath, realizing that she was out of ammunition. "What the hell am I gonna do now?!"  
  
Veronica, realizing her nemesis' unfortunate predicament, smirked as she straightened out her stance and secretly withdrew a sharp, coruscating dagger from the depths of her jacket pocket, slowly inverting her hand with the weapon, then snapping her wrist forward so that she sent the dagger cutting clear through the air at top speed.  
  
SLISH!  
  
Faye moaned in agony as soon as the serrated weapon sliced through the softness of her shoulder, rivers of crimson blood flowing forth from the puncture wound as she sank down to her knees in defeat; her head pounding as impulses of sheer pain shot through her shoulder with each emission of the precious life-bearing fluid.  
  
Closing her eyes, Faye listened to the sound of Veronica's high- heeled boots slapping against the pavement as she ever so slowly drew near, Faye moaning Spike's name over and over as she slumped down to her elbows and wept.  
  
"Yes.....CRY, you grungy rat!," Veronica urged in a venemous hiss, retrieving her revolver from within the depths of her leather jacket as she aimed it towards her hated nemesis and clicked back the hammer with her thumb. "Die the terrible death that you so sorely deserve!!!"  
  
Faye almost welcomed this proposition with open arms, but the moment that a vision of Spike's caring face appeared before her, her heart began to urge her to live for that man.....the man whom had single-handedly given her all of the love and devotion that a woman could ever need.  
  
"NO!," Faye protested, wildly shaking her head about in denial. "I am NOT ready to die yet!!!"  
  
Veronica let out a cry of surprise as Faye immediately swung one of her long legs up into the air and knocked the deadly weapon out of her hand in a single blow, the revolver clattering across the pavement so that it was well out of their reach.  
  
Veronica let out a growl as she sent a punch to her nemesis' face in brutal retalliation, but not before Faye had successfully performed a roundhouse kick to her adversary's legs, causing her to abruptly tumble down to the ground and roll over onto her side.  
  
Letting out a pained cry, Faye ripped the bloody dagger out of her shoulder and immediately turned to Veronica, who desperately tried to get up from the ground, but was far too slow to react in time.  
  
SLISH!  
  
Veronica let out a resounding scream of bewilderment and anguish as she placed a trembling hand upon her cheek in sheer agony, warm, thick blood oozing its way out of the deep incision like a steadfast river of scarlet.  
  
"You bitch! Look what you've done to my BEAUTIFUL face!!!," she wailed in bitter accusation, sending her nemesis an ungrateful look full of pure emnity as she gracelessly staggered up to her feet. "We will meet again so that I may avenge myself........BE READY TO PERISH DO TO YOUR FOOLISHNESS!!!"  
  
Turning her nose up into the air, Veronica hailed a taxi and immediately got in, Faye watching after her adversary with a look of pure nonchalance spread across her face, trying her best to ignore the intense pain in her shoulder as she wondered, "What does it matter? Spike and I have already accepted death so long ago that it hardly seems to affect us anymore."  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
"Oh, my God.....Faye! What the hell happened?!," Wertzy demanded as soon as her bloodied and bruised friend wearily entered her apartment like a dazed zombie.  
  
Faye shrugged, grumbling in response, "I just got into a little scuffle......that's all."  
  
"That's ALL?! Damn, Faye.....anyone can clearly see that you've got a big-ass puncture wound on your shoulder!," Wertzy insisted, immediately raiding her medicine cabinet in search of a first aid kit.  
  
Faye just merely shrugged again, replying numbly, "I'll live."  
  
"Maybe so, but whoever did this to you sure looks like they wanted you six-feet-under!," Wertzy observed as she withdrew some gauze and peroxide from within the interior of the kit. "Now you'd better hold still, cuz this is gonna hurt like hell."  
  
Faye grimaced as she reluctantly allowed Wertzy to inspect her shoulder, wondering miserably, "Where could Spike be? Does he even know that I didn't run away from him this morning?"  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
Spike sighed as he reluctantly entered a flower shop, wondering, "Why the hell do I think that flowers will make Faye forgive me for being so forceful last night? And even if they don't....my GOD, I never realized how much I truly need her! I actually feel as if I've got a goddamn hole eating away at the inside of my heart!"  
  
"How may I help you, sir?"  
  
Spike immediately snapped to attention, stammering, "Um....uh....I-I guess that a dozen red roses would be alright."  
  
The frail cashier beamed, acknowleding, "Ah, yes, of course! Why couldn't I guess? Lots of men like to give women roses since they are the flowers of love and romance."  
  
Spike stared at her blankly. "Oh....well.....um.......sure."  
  
The cashier giggled as she began to wrap up the roses, announcing, "Looks like your love life's about to bloom! Ha ha! Don't you get it? You know....roses......bloom?"  
  
Only receving Spike's blank stares, she shrugged it off, sighing as she replied scornfully, "Oh, well.....most get that joke. Guess that you're just a few crayons short of a full box."  
  
Spike snorted, realizing that his intelligence was being criticized. Deciding against murdering the poor old lady, he demanded hotly, "How much do I owe you?"  
  
"50 woolongs," the cashier replied, beaming as she extended her palm in order to receive the currency.  
  
Spike grumbled to himself as he grudgingly parted from his hard- earned woolongs, watching on in disdain as the woman swiped them from his outstretched palm and placed them into the cash register.  
  
As he began to trudge over towards the door, she called, "Have a nice day, sir, and good luck with your lady friend!"  
  
Spike forced a small smile despite his disgust, returning, "Thanks.....you, too. Erm.....but with your.....um.....man friend."  
  
The cashier went into a massive giggle fit, thus leaving Spike desperately craving a cigarette due to the utter humiliation that he felt.  
  
"Faye had better like these damn roses since I had to deal with some old bag from the looney bin!," he thought sourly as he emerged from the flower shop in disdain. I'm afraid to even ASK if this day could get any worse."  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
"Well look what the cat dragged in!," Wertzy announced, grinning from ear-to-ear as Spike moodily trudged into the apartment in a choleric state. "What happened to you?"  
  
"Don't ask," he grumbled, puffing on his cigarette with disdain as he carefully set the bouquet of roses that he had bought down upon the kitchen counter. "Where's Faye?"  
  
"In her room recovering," Wertzy replied, straigtening up a crooked picture frame as she heard him let out a choke full of trauma and bewilderment. "Don't worry, she'll be alright."  
  
"W-what the hell happened?!," Spike demanded, immediately snuffing his cigarette into a nearby ash tray as he anxiously awaited her response.  
  
"Veronica caught her by surprise," Wertzy explained, shrugging as she went to her refrigerator to fetch a well-needed bottle of wine. "All Faye's got is a knife wound and some bumps and bruises. As I've said before, she'll be fine."  
  
Spike sighed, murmuring softly, "I should've never left.........I should've been here for her when she returned all battered and beaten. That's what a good, respectful lover would do, anyway."  
  
"Don't blame yourself," Wertzy ordered as she took a swig from her wine bottle in disgust. "How the hell could you have known? I mean, you're not a damn fortune teller, for God's sake!"  
  
Spike didn't answer.  
  
Wertzy rolled her eyes, grumbling, "If men weren't created to annoy the hell outta women, I don't know WHAT they're for!"  
  
Spike ignored her scathing remark as he grabbed the bouquet of roses from off of the kitchen counter and exited the living room, continuing to trudge like a miserable fool as he slowly made his way to the guest bedroom.  
  
Once he had reached it, he took a deep breath, then rapped on the door, calling, "Faye, it's me.....Spike. Can I come in?"  
  
There was a muffled reply, so Spike considered this to be an invitation and slowly pushed the door open, his being entering in a severe state of anxiety.  
  
As soon as he laid his eyes upon his battered lover he gasped, just realizing how weak and vulnerable she really looked.  
  
"Faye," he breathed, taking a tentative step forward, "are.....are you alright?"  
  
A small smile painted its way across her rosy lips as she mumbled, "I didn't think that you'd come back........I was so insensitive this morning for not telling you where I was going, so you most definitely had the right to. I'm so sorry."  
  
"Don't be," Spike pleaded, gently easing himself down onto her bed with a subtle squeak as he carefully placed the roses beside her. "I should be the one that's sorry for letting this happen to you. Oh, God, Faye.....it's ALL my fault!"  
  
"Don't blame yourself," Faye urged softly, letting out a tired sigh as Spike interlocked his hand in hers and held it tightly, his gentle, mismatched eyes overflowing with such warmth and devotion that it left her feeling as if she were being cradled within a soft, soothing haven.  
  
"Um.....those roses are for you," Spike added softly, a lopsided smile making its way across his lips as he lightly brushed the silky strands of violet hair away from her gleaming jade eyes.  
  
"Thank you," Faye mumbled, returning his smile as she allowed her fingers to gently run over the soft, scarlet petals, her soul warming as she felt Spike place a gentle, heart-felt kiss upon her pale, satin cheek.  
  
"I should go," he announced softly, drawing away from her weary being with reluctance. "You need to get some rest."  
  
"No.....don't leave me," Faye pleaded, grasping onto his wrist with a needy desperation. "Please, Spike.....stay with me.............just for a little while longer."  
  
His gaze locked with her own, a deep, fluctuating warmth filling up his russet-colored irises as he remained motionless, a strong feeling of appetence forcing its way into their aching hearts as the air in the room suddenly grew suffocatingly thick with desire.  
  
"Alright," Spike agreed breathlessly, his soul tingling as Faye weakly sat up and wrapped her arms about his waist, her lips lightly tracing along his jawline as his cheeks flushed a deep crimson.  
  
"Oh, Faye," he moaned, closing his eyes and breathing in her heavenly scent with contentment as he pleaded breathlessly into her ear, "Will you let me hold you now?"  
  
"I'd lay with you until the end of time," Faye returned in a soft, seductive whisper, her lips immediately caressing his cheek as he buried his face against the nape of her neck and held her close, their hearts beating in wild syncopation as the dim moonlight bathed them within its luminescent glow.  
  
Faye shivered against Spike's chest as he gently eased her back down against the pale, silky sheets, his warm lips leaving deep, passionte kisses along her throat as she felt his hands gently thumb open the single button to her small yellow crop top.  
  
A small smile spread its way across Spike's lips as she moaned his name and let out a pitiful whimper, her eyes immediately closing as she felt his tongue glide a trail up along the small valley between her breasts until he came to a brief stop and nibbled on her collar bone; their bodies shivering violently due to the pleasant feeling of one another's touch.  
  
"I love you," Faye whimpered, trembling amidst Spike's strong embrace as he began to gently pull down her shorts. "Just promise that you'll always be here with me......no more and lies and deception."  
  
"I promise," Spike breathed, immediately capturing her lips in his own in a heated kiss; their hearts pounding with the beautiful new medley that they were composing through their indelible love.  
  
Their kiss only deepened, its passion rapidly escalating as it mounted in forcefulness and desire; the couple holding on to one another so tightly they they could scarcely breathe.  
  
"My God, I've found Heaven, itself," Spike moaned into his lover's ear, placing a heart-felt kiss upon her cheek as she closed her eyes and let out a soft whimper. "Wait a second....I promise I'll be quick."  
  
Faye nodded in consent, never opening her eyes as she felt Spike reluctantly part from her being, the sound of clothes rustling about leaving behind a deep sensation of longing searing through her veins like a raging sea within her pounding heart.  
  
When she felt Spike's warm body touch her own once more she moaned, his lips immediately muffling her cry of passion as her fingers gently stroked the sweat-drenched curls along his scalp; a low shudder escaping his mouth as he entered her and possessively wrapped his arms about her waist as he drew her body closer to his own.  
  
Faye whimpered as she clung to Spike's muscular frame and absolutely refused to let go, his breath-taking kisses over-powering her being as she felt him move in and out of her and caress her flushed cheeks, his lips leaving behind a sweet flavor that left her craving for more of his tender love and affection.  
  
"Thank you for not parting from my side," Faye breathed, closing her eyes as Spike's lips left her own and gently rolled over her chin and down to the soft flesh of her neck. "Without you I'd surely be lost."  
  
"Well thank you for giving me a second chance," Spike returned softly, nuzzling the nape of her neck as he stroked her cheek in adoration. "You have no idea how much I've been kicking myself inwardly since I had refused your beautiful gift of love time and time again. Can you ever forgive a blinded fool?"  
  
Faye's rosy lips curled up into a smile as she returned in a soft whisper, "I could never stay mad at you......I-I came to realize that you had immediately become apart of me the fateful day that we had met so many years ago."  
  
Spike smiled, holding her close as he buried his face against the nape of her neck and let out a deep sigh, returning softly, "I agree."  
  
Faye just merely smiled, dreamily closing her eyes as she gently pressed her soft lips against Spike's cheek and stroked his face, the warmth that he radiated immediately cradling her like a loving embrace until she felt herself gradually drift off into the depths of sleep. 


	5. A Fallen Angel Part 1

CH 5  
  
"Glad to hear that you slept so well last night."  
  
Faye raised an eyebrow as she immediately stopped stirring her coffee. "Excuse me?"  
  
Wertzy smirked, rolling her eyes as she explained, "The walls in my apartment are paper-thin, Faye, so don't think that I can't hear ya just cuz you're in another room."  
  
Faye's face turned blood-red as she tapped her fingers against the table top in embarrassment, returning nervously, "Well I-I.....we-we......"  
  
"Relax," Wertzy cut in, letting out a deep and hearty laugh. "I'm not mad at you kids, but at least gimme some sleeping priviledges from now on, alright?"  
  
"Alright," Faye agreed feebly, far too mortified to return her friend's gaze. "I-I promise."  
  
Wertzy grinned, pouring herself a glass of some breakfast whiskey as she pried, "Guess that you've forgiven 'ol bush head, huh? I tell you, Faye, that man is SO manipulative without even tryin' to be! Guess it's just his natural charismatic personality and charm that causes every woman to fall at his feet."  
  
"Not to mention his overall appearance," Faye added, trying hard not to blush as Wertzy shot her a lopsided smirk.  
  
Before either of them could utter another word, however, Spike, himself, trudged into the room, yawning loudly as he stood up on his tippy- toes and stretched his weary limbs up towards the ceiling like a spindly tree.  
  
"Morning," Wertzy ventured, giving him a winning smile before she guzzled down the remainder of her breakfast whiskey. "Sleep well?"  
  
Spike smirked, seating himself in a wooden chair beside Faye as he replied, "That's kind of a personal question, don'tcha think?"  
  
"Why not at all!," Wertzy insisted, giving him her best innocent glance as she sat back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap. "I mean, I was just merely asking if my apartment served you well last night."  
  
Spike chuckled, a slight gleam in his eye as he returned casually, "Well, I-"  
  
Brring!  
  
"Oh! My cell phone!," Faye exclaimed, immediately hauling herself up to her feet as she hurriedly retrieved it from the depths of her sweater pocket before bringing it up to her ear. "Hello?"  
  
"Fooooood! Ed needs FOOOOOOOD!!!"  
  
"Ed?!," Faye choked, sending Spike a worried look before continuing with unease, "Oh, my God, Ed, I am SO sorry for leaving you guys! I should've called, I know, but-"  
  
"There is no 'we-persons'!," Edward cut in miserably. "Ed is all by her lonesome cuz Ayame-person is gone now, too!"  
  
"AYAME?!," Faye repeated, shocked beyond all words of grief. "W-where is she? Did she tell you where she was going?!"  
  
"Yes.......Ayame-person said that she was going to a bar in Airesville to drink to the memory of Tracey-person," Edward acknowledged softly, her voice tired and drained of its usual exuberant pleasantness. "It's been a looooong time, Faye-Faye, and Ed is all alone and scared!!!"  
  
"Don't worry, Ed.....I'll send someone right over," Faye assured her young friend softly, biting her lip as she glanced over at Spike and Wertzy with unease. "She should arrive within 30 minutes, alright?"  
  
"Oh, BOY!!!!," Edward exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement. "You promise?!"  
  
Faye smiled, realizing inwardly that Wertzy wasn't going to like this. "I promise."  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
"WHAT?!!"  
  
"It's just for a little while," Faye insisted softly as she continued to pilot the Red Tail, her now disgruntled companion scrunched up tightly beside her due to the very limited space within the cockpit. "I promise you that once Spike and I bag Veronica and Kostian as our bounties we'll pay you back, alright?"  
  
"No, it's NOT alright! Do I look like a fuckin' babysitter to you?!!," Wertzy demanded, completely outraged by the entire situation at hand. "If I'm hearin' you correctly, which I hope to GOD that I'm not, I've gotta stay locked up in the Bebop with your insane teenage comrade while you and Spike take over my apartment for a little while and search for your goddamn bounties?!!!"  
  
Faye let out an apprehensive cough, replying weakly, "Well...uh.......yeah."  
  
"FORGET IT!!!," Wertzy bellowed, clearly aggravated beyond all barriers of agitation. "Take me back home......NOW!!!"  
  
Faye frowned. "Look, Wertzy, we really need this money and Ed can't stay alone all by herself! Please just do this! If not for me or Spike, then at least for the sake of being humane!"  
  
Wertzy let out an execrative growl, fulminating hotly, "Oh, ALRIGHT! Hell, you'd better gimme 40% of one of your goddamn bounties since I can just feel it this this job is gonna blow!"  
  
Faye smiled warmly. "Deal."  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
"FAYE-FAYE!!! ED MISSED YOU!!!!!!!"  
  
"I missed you, too, Ed," Faye assured her young comrade gently, pulling her up into her arms for a tight hug. "I hope that Wertzy will be a good friend for you."  
  
Edward beamed, immediately latching onto the newcomer with elation, exclaiming, "Yes, yes, YES! Ed and Wertzy-person will play cops and robbers and be the beeeeest of friends!!!"  
  
Wertzy looked down at the goofy young woman who was currently clinging to her pantleg and raised an eyebrow, muttering sourly under her breath, "Lord have mercy."  
  
"Yeah, YEAH! Lord have mercy!!!," Edward mimicked, giggling foolishly as she detatched herself from Wertzy and began to jump up and down with excitement.  
  
Wertzy snorted. "Faye, you said nothin' about watching a psychopathic MANIAC! What the HELL am I supposed to do with this girl?!"  
  
"I-I know that she may seem like a handful, but she's easily entertained," Faye assured her frustrated comrade, forcing a small, apologetic smile. "Most find poor Ed to be a severe nuisance at first, but underneath it all, she's a remarkable young woman. Trust me.........you'll like her."  
  
"Hmph....you'd better be right about this," Wertzy muttered, folding her arms with contempt as she looked down at the curious young woman over before her with severe distaste. "I'm not a big fan of teenagers, after all.....too many moodswings and mindless urges to rebel."  
  
Edward's goofy grin immediately melted down into a disdainful frown as she insisted hotly, "Ed is a WOMAN! Ed is 18 and a half years old!!!"  
  
"Oh....but.....you were 13 last time I checked," Wertzy mumbled, suddenly overcome by an extreme wave of sheepishness. "Then again, I first heard about you when I met Faye, and that was 5 years ago."  
  
"Time flies," Faye added softly, not able to keep her lips from curving upward into a dreamy smile. "In this case, I was able to seize the positive side of the situations during those years and learned to live............and love."  
  
Beep! Beep! Beep!  
  
Edward immediately abandoned her comrades and bounded over to the Bebop communicating system, exclaiming blithely, "Spike-person! Ed is SOOO happy to see you! Does Spike-person have some souvenirs for Ed?!"  
  
Spike snorted, clearly not in the mood. "NO! I just called to see if Faye was there yet."  
  
"Oh, well Faye-Faye's here," Edward acknowledged, nodding cheerfully. "Does Spike-person want for Ed to get her for him?"  
  
Spike impatiently returned her nod, so the young woman hollered at the top of her lungs, "FAYE-FAYE!!! SPIKE-PERSON NEEDS TO TALK TO YOOOOOOU!!!"  
  
Faye looked up in surprise due to the mentioning of her name, then reluctantly approached the communicating system, asking with unease, "Is everything alright? Do you have an emergency?!"  
  
Spike nodded in response. "I ate earlier this morning at this ritzy place called the Heavenly Skies Restaurant where this waitress revealed to me that Veronica and Kostian have reservations to eat there this evening. Since I had asked her about them since, you know, they had been in town and all, she revealed to me that their names were suspicious since she had seen Big Shot a while earlier. The waitress' name is Anastasia and she told me to come there to dinner so that she could fill me in on some more information since Veronica and Kostian had apparently eaten there on more than one occasion. Are you in or out?"  
  
"Definitely in," Faye acknowledged, smiling. "I'd do anything to snag those bastards after what they've done to the Bebop crew!"  
  
"Good," Spike replied, his eyes gleaming as he returned her smile. "See you in 30."  
  
"See ya," Faye mumbled softly, turning off the communicating system in a flourish.  
  
"So....I'm guessing that you're going now?," Wertzy demanded, sending Edward an uneasy glance.  
  
Faye nodded. "Yeah, Spike needs me, and you both know very well by this point that I'd do absolutely anything for him, so.....bye. I'll see you both in a bit, alright?"  
  
"Alright," Wertzy grumbled, staring after her comrade in disgust as Edward began to tug on her arm with a deep urgency that could only spell one thing: trouble.  
  
"Oh, God," she thought grimly, glancing down at the young woman with consternation, "it just might be me, but I have a baaaad feeling about all of this shit!!!"  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
"Annie! For GOD'S SAKE, girl....we have CUSTOMERS!!!"  
  
"Oh....I am terribly sorry, sir," the young, pencil-thin woman apologized, her violet irises shimmering as she looked her disgruntled boss over in fear. "I-I shall tend to zhem right away, sir."  
  
"See that you DO," her boss grumbled in disdain, inwardly forgiving the young woman as soon as her curvy hips began to swing back and forth in a hypnotic manner as she blithely approached the rather impatient couple who were currently standing beside the PLEASE WAIT TO BE SEATED sign.  
  
"Hello, zhere," Annie greeted, sending them a sweet, pleasant smile. "Two?"  
  
"Uh, better make it three, actually.....we're expecting someone," the man replied in his deep, rich, sultry voice as he wrapped a possessive arm about the thin waist of his female companion. "She's a waitress here.....said her name was Anastasia. Know her?"  
  
Annie gasped, her rich olive complexion immediately turning a rosy hue as she took a step back in surprise. "Oh...vell....I am Anastasia, sir. Are you Mr. Spiegel?"  
  
He grinned. "Indeed I am."  
  
Taking a deep breath, Annie flipped an ebony-colored ringlet of hair over her shoulder, acknowledging, "Zhen come vith me, sir, so zat I may seat you and your lady friend. After I take your order, I shall join you."  
  
"That won't be necessary," Spike insisted, a small smile forming upon his lips as his grasp about Faye's waist tightened. "Just go ahead and talk to us now."  
  
Annie blinked. "Oh.....but sir, it ees against regulations to-"  
  
"SCREW regulations!!!," Spike barked, causing several startled customers to look up in surprise. "You agreed to speak with us, so TALK!!!"  
  
"Oh, no, no, no, sir....you see...I only agreed to speak vith you," Annie pointed out feebly, her bottom lip trembling as she felt her confidence slip. "You never mentioned......her."  
  
Spike grunted. "Listen, lady, just show us to our goddamn table, already!"  
  
Annie frowned, her pale violet irises burning with her thick, inner ire, her rich, accented voice tainted with a foul rancor as she hissed, "Fine, Mr. Spiegel! I shall meet vith your requests, but ONLY if I can use zee bathroom!!!"  
  
Spike raised an eyebrow. "Oh......uh.....of course."  
  
Giving him an ungrateful look, Annie stomped off towards the restroom in a haughty state as Faye leaned over and whispered furtively into his ear, "She appears to be Russian.....if THAT means anything."  
  
"Well, we'll never know until we ask," Spike replied softly, smirking as he watched Annie immediately rush into the women's room at top speed.  
  
Upon entering, she dove into a bathroom stall, then punched in a button to her gold watch, hissing, "Hurry up and get here, Kostian! Zhey are onto us!!!"  
  
"Ah, do not vorry, my dear sister," his voice crackeled in response. "Veronica and I are on our vay right as vee speak. Ees everything going according to plan?"  
  
Annie bit her lip, replying softly, "I am scared, Kostian! Vhy ees the life of Spike Spiegel so vonderful to take? Ees it worth sacrificing your OWN life?!"  
  
"Yes," Kostian admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "Once zat filthy bastard ees wiped from zee galaxy, I vill once more be able to sleep at night."  
  
"And Veronica....vhy ees SHE so special?!," Annie demanded, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. Do you love her, Kostian? Vould you KILL for her?! Risk your own LIFE?!!"   
  
There came a long pause, then the young man replied firmly, "Yes.....I vould. Miss Stiles ees a very remarkable woman, Anastasia. She vould protect me, so I vill protect her."  
  
Annie sighed. "So vhat shall I do in zee meantime, Kostian? Tell zhem vhat zhey vant to know?"  
  
Kostian nodded. "Yes.....keep zhem occupied, Anastasia. Don't vorry.....vee VILL come."  
  
She smiled, a small chuckle escaping her blood-red lips as she replied in a voice barely above a whisper, "Yes........you VILL come, and zhen zhey shall get zhere comeuppance."  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
"....and zat ees all I know," Annie finsished, shrugging her shoulders as she took a sip of her wine and watched her two companions over the rim of the glass with unease. "Vould you like for me to elaborate?"  
  
Spike shook his head. "No.....you've been quite helpful, Annie. Remind me to leave you a big tip."  
  
She gave him a sly, seductive smile, replying, "Vhy thank you, sir......you are most generous. Now, I must repay you two for giving me such an enchanting evening....zat ees.....a little break from zee hell zat I like to call vork."  
  
Spike raised an eyebrow. "But Annie, if anyone should be thanking anyone, it should be us thanking you."  
  
She smirked, replying insidiously, "Ah, but zat won't be necessary, Mr. Spiegel."  
  
"What?"  
  
Faye suddenly looked up from her wine, then screamed in horror, exclaiming tremulously, "Spike, it's a trap....BEHIND YOU!!!"  
  
He immediately turned around, only to be met by a huge, rock-hard fist.  
  
"Kostian!," Faye cried, suddenly growing pale. "Leave him alone!"  
  
"Shut up, bitch!," Anastasia hissed, grabbing her by the waist and taking her into a tight headlock before putting a gun to her head. "Let's leave zee boys to zee fighting, alright? You and I can go up to zee rooftop vith Veronica.....sound like fun?"  
  
Faye trembled amidst her surprisingly strong grasp, replying weakly, "Please....let me go! I don't deserve this shit!!!"  
  
"Ha! Now ZAT ees a laugh!," Annie retorted, letting out a light chuckle as she edged her on over towards a staircase that led up to the rooftop, Spike and Kostian continuing to battle it out as they made their escape. "You are one of zee reasons vhy my brother vas in jail in zee first place!"  
  
"I was doing my job!," Faye retorted, letting out a cry of pain as Annie kneed her in the back in order to edge her on up the stairs. "I needed the money......I was doing a favor to society!"  
  
"Vell vhatever, you selfish bitch!," Annie hissed as she opened up the door at the top of the staircase. "Zhis ees your lucky day, because you vill get your comeuppance!!!"  
  
Faye gasped as she was pushed forward and out into the cool, crisp night air that the rooftop bestowed, a familar leather-clad woman emerging from within the shadows like a demon in disguise.  
  
"Hello, Faye," she greeted coldly, smirking as she withdrew a gleaming gun from within the depths of her jacket. "It's time for some fun."  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
CRASH!  
  
A blonde screamed as her handsome companion immediately rushed to her aid, the tall, lanky man with moss-green hair briefly apologizing for the mess that he had created by landing on their dinner table as he jumped back up to his feet and lunged at his adversary at top speed, sending two powerful uppercuts to the assassin's jaw.  
  
Kostian let out a growl and dove back at his target in an instant, his fury eminent as his frosty blue eyes continued to glaze over with the inner coldness of his black heart.  
  
Spike swiftly evaded the surprise attack, placing his hand onto a nearby table and lifting himself up into the air, using both of his legs to help himself veer back around and strike his opponent roughly in the chest.  
  
Kostian grunted due to the slight pain, but managed to grab ahold of Spike's feet and swing him back around, leaving him absolutely stunned as he crashed into yet another table just like before.  
  
Spike let out a low moan of pain as he ripped a used steak knife out of his hip, gritting his teeth in pain as he slowly dragged himself up off of the floor and lifted his fists up, completely prepared to see their fight through to the very end.  
  
"Come on, you miserable bastard," he taunted, his rich voice stained with rancor. "Why don'tcha finish what you started?"  
  
Kostian let out a growl full of vengeance as he propelled himself towards his hated nemesis at top speed, both men gritting their teeth amidst their deep ire as soon as they locked themselves in combat.  
  
Annie, meanwhile, had left Veronica and Faye up on the rooftop, so she had retired to the cash register so that she could carry on with the restaurant's business as if nothing were happening at the moment.  
  
Now that her dear brother's life was at stake, however, Annie immediately reached into her panty hose and retrieved her Raptor Magnum, cocking the firearm as she tremulously lifted it up before her and desperately tried to level it out so that she could accurately aim at Kostian's assailant.  
  
Just as she was about to fire, Kostian ended up lunging in front of her target, thus causing her to curse under her breath as she realized that, due to their grappling, they were moving way too much for her to be able to zero in on her specific mark.  
  
Finally able to aim precisely at Spike, himself, Annie leveled out her gun, then prepared to fire. Just as she was about to pull the trigger, however, she gasped, realizing that Spike had withdrawn his own firearm and was now preparing to shoot her beloved brother.  
  
"KOSTIAN!!!," Annie wailed, leaping over the counter in an instant before making a mad dash over towards the unfolding battle site. "NOOOO!!!"  
  
BANG!  
  
Kostian cringed due to the loud crack of the gunshot, squeezing his eyes shut in expectance of the severe pain that he was sure to endure.  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Huh?," he demanded aloud in sheer confusion, opening his eyes in an instant. The moment that his gaze drifted on over to the body before him, however, he immediately regretted it as he exclaimed in utter bewilderment, "ANASTASIA!!!!!!"  
  
"Kostian," she wheezed, her listless violet eyes shimmering over with a thin veil of pained tears as he grasped her hand with concern. "Avenge.......................me."  
  
"NO!!!," he wailed, torn within the bowels of grief and despair as her head dropped back limply against the tile floor, globules of scarlet billowing forth from her gunshot wound like a heavy rainfall. "NO! DAMN YOU, SPIEGEL!!!"  
  
Spike just merely stood there, watching on with solemnity as he lifted his gun up into the air over his head and replied dryly, "Sorry."  
  
In the blink of an eye, he brought the revolver down, the hard metal of the deadly weapon coming in contact with Kostian's skull in an instant, thus causing him to topple over limply to the ground into a deep, unconscious sleep.  
  
Thinking little about all that he had just done, Spike immediately rushed on over towards the staircase that led up to the rooftop and began to ascend them two at a time, his lover the key stimulus that kept him going on in order to execute Veronica.  
  
"Almost there," Spike assured himself, breathing heavily as he raced up to the two bolted doors that separated him from his love and himself. "Just get out there to Faye and everything will be alright again."  
  
BANG!  
  
(Evanescence's "Hello" plays)The lock to the doors immediately broke off, Spike pocketing his Jericho as he took in a deep breath and burst through the two iron suppressants like a wild beast.  
  
The sight that welcomed his two-toned eyes, however, nearly made his heart stop, his breath coming in short, uneven gasps as perspiration suddenly began to cling to his brow like a thin veil of dew.  
  
"Faye," he gasped, his voice quivering as he instantly recognized the familiar young woman that was sprawled out face-down upon the rooftop. "FAYE!!!!!!!"  
  
His heart racing, Spike immediately rushed over to his love and turned her over in his arms, trembling as he noticed three bullet wounds within her being that were stained with her precious blood.  
  
"Faye," he repeated hoarsely, giving her a gentle shake. "Faye........oh, God, PLEASE say something!!!"  
  
A low whimper escaped her rosy lips as her brilliant jade eyes opened, only to see his caring, handsome face distorted in anguish over seeing the one whom he loved so deeply wilting away like a frail, delicate flower.  
  
"Spike," Faye croaked, reaching up a shaking hand to touch his face. "My....Spike....."  
  
"Please, try not to talk right now," he begged, his chest heaving with misery as his eye glazed over with a veil of tears that stubbornly refused to be shed. "You're gonna be alright, so...so hang in there goddammit! Don't you leave me! I love you! Do you hear me, Faye?! I LOVE YOU!!!"  
  
Two diamond-like tears fell from her ebony lashes as she let out a pained sigh, returning softly, "I'm sorry, Spike...........but I-I can't be with you, anymore."  
  
"WHAT?!," he demanded, about to go hysterical. "Don't say that! You're GONNA make it!!!"  
  
"I wish I could believe you, sweetheart," Faye mumbled, trembling within his strong embrace as her vision began to go blurry due to her massive blood loss. "I'm dying, Spike, and there's absolutely nothing that either of us can do about it. Go on....find someone who makes you complete.....have children...................live your life."  
  
"NO!!!," Spike protested, his brow knitting together as he vigorously shook his head back and forth in frustration. "I will NEVER be able to love again! I love YOU and ONLY you........UNDERSTAND?!!"  
  
Faye quivered, coughing up globules of scarlet that frothed along her rosy lips, her eyes hazing over with a listless sheen as her soft, silky violet hair gently washed over her wan face due to the rough breeze that was whipping violently about them.  
  
"I'll be watching over you," she promised in a soft, breathless whisper, managing to give her lover a small smile despite the massive pain that was searing throughout her body like a raging fire. "I will be your guardian angel, sweetheart........wherever you are, I won't be too far behind."  
  
Spike trembled, miserably shaking his head back and forth in denial as he touched the smoothness of her face, pleading urgently, "Don't leave me, Faye......please! Yes, I know that I was wrong to abadon you in the past, but don't punish me this way! PLEASE!!!"  
  
Faye let out a violent shiver, replying gently, "I've already forgiven you for that, sweetheart.......and I am forever in your debt. The very moment that you pledged your love for me I felt reborn........I had finally been given the chance to love and be loved in return..........so thank you."  
  
"But I don't wanna lose you," Spike insisted with deep fervor, slipping his hands into her listless ones and squeezing them tightly as he gazed down tearfully into her sparkling jade eyes. "I mean.....my God, I've finally found a reason to live and.......and now.............now it's being stolen from me just like everything ELSE that I've ever loved! Didn't I tell you that whatever I loved always got hurt?! Oh, God.....I did this to you!!!"  
  
"No you didn't Spike.....you couldn't have possibly stopped Veronica from what she was going to do," Faye insisted gently, her weak heart melting as soon as the man whom she loved so deeply placed passionate kisses all along her hands and looked up into her eyes with such misery that she suddenly felt her body temperature drop.  
  
Taking in a languished breath, Faye wheezed breathlessly, "May I have one last.......request?"  
  
Spike gave her a pained look. "Yes.....of course you may, sweetheart."  
  
"Just give me one last kiss..........so that I can die happy," Faye pleaded, her jade eyes shimmering as she allowed her hand to listlessly travel down the smoothness of his cheek. "Please.......this is all that I'll ever ask of you......just one kiss."  
  
Spike choked as he desperately tried to fight off his woeful feelings, his mismatched eyes misting over with tears of sorrow as he acknowledged in a voice barely above a whisper, "I'd do anything for you, sweetheart and I promise that I'll try to make our l-last kiss.......memorable."  
  
Faye nodded, a halcyon smile coming to her rosy lips as he slowly leaned down and placed his mouth delicately over her own, their lips lightly dancing to the medley of their undying love within their hearts as Spike embraced his sweet love and held her close, hoping that if he held on tight enough, her spirit could not escape her being and leave him all alone to fend for himself within their cruel, unforgiving universe.  
  
After another brief moment, Spike sighed and held her even closer against his chest than before as he asked hopefully against the softness of her lips, "There....how was that? Good enough for a last kiss?"  
  
She didn't answer.  
  
"Faye?"  
  
Spike's heart felt as if it had suddenly ceased in beating as he gazed down upon his fallen angel, her face at peace and appearing as if she were in a deep sleep as tiny rain droplets began to mist down upon them from the heavens.  
  
Letting out a terrible growl, Spike directed his vengeful gaze up towards the rumbling, satin gray sky, the merciless liquid droplets pelting him in the face as he continued to raspily breathe in and out, his heart pounding within his chest with an unrequited yearning that consumed his being to the point of sheer insanity.  
  
Slumping down over his green-eyed angel, Spike, for the very first time in his life, wept genuine, heartfelt tears that came cascading down his cheeks in a warm, gentle flow, his voice quivering as he whispered breathlessly into his fallen lover's ear, "Sleep tight, my sweet princess." (Stop CD)  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
Wertzy yawned, stretching out along the small, mustard-yellow couch as she lazily watched the fan revolve slowly around within its seemingly never- ending cycle.  
  
Glancing laggardly over to her side, she jumped, exclaiming in surprise, "ED! Goddammit, DON'T SNEAK UP ON ME LIKE THAT!!!"  
  
The young woman grinned, insisting cheerfully, "Sorry, Wertzy-person, but Ed thinks that you should get up and play cops and robbers with Ed now."  
  
Wertzy groaned, placing a hand over her eyes as if to rid herself of the blithe young woman's presence as she grumbled moodily, "Ed, I'm too old for that nonsense."  
  
"But Wertzy-person is as old as Spike-person!," Edward insisted hotly, her brow scrunching up as she placed her hands on her slender hips in disgust. "Ed wants Wertzy-person to play NOW!!!"  
  
Wertzy grimaced. "Look, Ed, I-"  
  
Beep! Beep! Beep!  
  
"Spike-person and Faye-Faye are back......YAY!!!," Edward announced exuberantly, jumping up and down with excitement before rushing over and hitting the button that allowed the hangar door to open, Wertzy wearily tagging along behind.  
  
"You'd better back up," she urged suddenly, grabbing Edward by her spindly arm and pulling her back behind her as the Swordfish II gradually pulled into the docking bay, its boosters blasting a strong, biting wind that whipped about the area like a strenuous whirlwind as the zip craft finally came in to a complete stop.  
  
"Maybe Spike-person bought me a souvenir!," Edward exclaimed hopefully, clasping her hands over her heart with anticipation as the top hatch to the zip craft opened up, thus allowing a weary being to rise up and out of it with something rested snugly within its strong, caring embrace.  
  
"Oh, my God," Wertzy gasped, immediately preventing a shriek of bewilderment from escaping her throat. "Oh, my GOD! Spike....what the hell....?!"  
  
His fiery, hardset gaze instantly stopped her incessant rambling, Edward suddenly trembling as she ventured hopefully, "Faye- Faye..............sleeping?"  
  
Spike let out a tormented growl and hotly pushed past them, absolutely refusing to answer her simple question.  
  
Wertzy mournfully placed a hand over her mouth and shook with horror, moaning, "Oh, my God, Ed.....do you realize what this means?!"  
  
Edward shook her head, her shimmering yellow eyes deep and imploring.  
  
Wertzy took a deep breath, then explained shakily, "She's dead, honey......................Faye's gone."  
  
"Faye-Faye...................dead?," Edward repeated in a hushed whisper, a look of pure pain and confusion immediately washing its way across her face like a grim mural of hurt and bewilderment. "Gone..............forever?"  
  
Wertzy nodded dourly. "That's right, honey..........she won't be here with us anymore."  
  
A single tear of pained anguish rolled down Edward's cheek as she let out a miserable whimper, wailing, "ED WANTS TO SEE FAYE-FAYE!!!! WILL ED EVER SEE HER AGAIN?!!"  
  
"Not for a long while," Wertzy replied softly, pulling the young, sobbing woman into her arms for a tight hug. "Not for a looooong time."  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
"Come on.....ANSWER THE PHONE, DAMMIT!!!," Spike ordered aloud as he paced back and forth within his bedroom, his cell phone pressed snugly against his ear as he waited impatiently for the person whom he wished to speak with to pick up. "COME ON!!!!"  
  
Click. "Hello?"  
  
Spike cringed due to hearing the sweet, sugary voice that his body considered to be the universe's most deadly toxin, his eye twitching slightly as he hissed with a deep rancor, "Veronica.....you killed the that woman I love.......who I wanted to marry!!!"  
  
A shrill, piercing laugh of triumph was heard from the other end as she acknowledged insouciantly, "Oh...my severe condolences, Mr. Spiegel. I'm sure that you both wouldn't have stayed together much longer, anyway. Miss Valentine was a whore, so I'm sure that she would've ended up sending you down the river sooner or later" "Don't you DARE talk to me about Faye like that, you lewd bitch! It seems to me that you're describing YOURSELF!!!," Spike growled, his free hand tightening by his side into a taut fist until his knuckles turned white. "Since you had the nerve to end my life, I'll have the nerve to end YOURS! Return to the rooftop by no later than 10PM for a duel to the death!!!"  
  
Veronica chuckled. "Very well, Mr. Spiegel.......I'll be waiting."  
  
Click. Beeeeeep.  
  
Spike let out a roar full of rage as he recklessly thrusted his cell phone into a nearby wall, his head pounding with his inner ire as he glanced over at his green-eyed angel who was peacefully lying upon his bed, one of the roses that he had bought for her nestled neatly beneath her hands and over her heart.  
  
"I WILL avenge you, my sweet," Spike breathed, slowly approaching her. "I promise you.....I WILL kill Veronica, even if I die trying."  
  
Trembling as he finally reached his love, he gazed down upon her being which was absolutely ravishing, even through death, his hand straying carefully across her smooth, pale, porcelain cheek as if he were afraid that she would break.  
  
"Good-bye, sweetheart......I will return for you," Spike murmured, placing a warm, heartfelt kiss upon her lips, which had recently turned blue due to the foul sense of death that had so mercilessly taken over her sweet, fragile being.  
  
Standing back up, Spike took a deep breath and looked his love over once more, then turned over towards the door and laggardly exited, his heart filled with sorrow, yet strong due to the mere thought that he knew that deep-down he would avenge his greatest lover's death, no matter what the cost.  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
"Kostian....WHAT are you DOING?! You have to come with me since I need a bodyguard against Mr. Spiegel!!!"  
  
"Calm yourself, Miss Stiles.....I VILL accompany you, but I just need a bit more time," the assassin insisted as he continued to diligently hover over the cage of his pet black mamba.  
  
"Alright, alright, but what the HELL are you doing?!," Veronica demanded hotly, her deep brown eyes burning with her inner frustrations. "You shouldn't be messing with your damn pet snake during such a crucial hour for planning!!!"  
  
Kostian smirked as he lifted up a syringe before her eyes, announcing smugly, "Ah, but thees ees vhere our plan comes into play, my dear. Zee black mamba ees one of the most poisonous snakes in zee galaxy. Vhen you fight Mr. Spiegel tonight, I shall inject him vith zee poison, thus causing him to finally, at long last, perish."  
  
Veronica's crimson lips curled upward into a devious smirk as she replied slyly, "My, I love it when you're smart. I obviously couldn't do this alone."  
  
"You don't know how right you are, Miss Stiles," Kostian acknowledged, chuckling as he pocketed the syringe into a safe place within his jacket pocket. "You don't know HOW right you are." or later." 


	6. A Fallen Angel Part 2

  
  
  
 "Come on.....ANSWER THE PHONE, DAMMIT!!!," Spike ordered aloud as he paced back and forth within his bedroom, his cell phone pressed snugly against his ear as he waited impatiently for the person whom he wished to speak with to pick up. "COME ON!!!!"  
  
        Click. "Hello?"  
  
        Spike cringed due to hearing the sweet, sugary voice that his body considered to be the universe's most deadly toxin, his eye twitching slightly as he hissed with a deep rancor, "Veronica.....you killed the that woman I love.......who I wanted to marry!!!"  
  
        A shrill, piercing laugh of triumph was heard from the other end as she acknowledged insouciantly, "Oh...my severe condolences, Mr. Spiegel. I'm sure that you both wouldn't have stayed together much longer, anyway. Miss Valentine was a whore, so I'm sure that she would've ended up sending you down the river sooner or later" "Don't you DARE talk to me about Faye like that, you lewd bitch! It seems to me that you're describing YOURSELF!!!," Spike growled, his free hand tightening by his side into a taut fist until his knuckles turned white. "Since you had the nerve to end my life, I'll have the nerve to end YOURS! Return to the rooftop by no later than 10PM for a duel to the death!!!"  
  
        Veronica chuckled. "Very well, Mr. Spiegel.......I'll be waiting."  
  
        Click. Beeeeeep.  
  
        Spike let out a roar full of rage as he recklessly thrusted his cell phone into a nearby wall, his head pounding with his inner ire as he glanced over at his green-eyed angel who was peacefully lying upon his bed, one of the roses that he had bought for her nestled neatly beneath her hands and over her heart.  
  
        "I WILL avenge you, my sweet," Spike breathed, slowly approaching her. "I promise you.....I WILL kill Veronica, even if I die trying."  
  
        Trembling as he finally reached his love, he gazed down upon her being which was absolutely ravishing, even through death, his hand straying carefully across her smooth, pale, porcelain cheek as if he were afraid that she would break.  
  
        "Good-bye, sweetheart......I will return for you," Spike murmured, placing a warm, heartfelt kiss upon her lips, which had recently turned blue due to the foul sense of death that had so mercilessly taken over her sweet, fragile being.  
  
        Standing back up, Spike took a deep breath and looked his love over once more, then turned over towards the door and laggardly exited, his heart filled with sorrow, yet strong due to the mere thought that he knew that deep-down he would avenge his greatest lover's death, no matter what the cost.  
  
**************************************************************************** **********************  
  
        "Kostian....WHAT are you DOING?! You have to come with me since I need a bodyguard against Mr. Spiegel!!!"  
  
        "Calm yourself, Miss Stiles.....I VILL accompany you, but I just need a bit more time," the assassin insisted as he continued to diligently hover over the cage of his pet black mamba.  
  
        "Alright, alright, but what the HELL are you doing?!," Veronica demanded hotly, her deep brown eyes burning with her inner frustrations. "You shouldn't be messing with your damn pet snake during such a crucial hour for planning!!!"  
  
        Kostian smirked as he lifted up a syringe before her eyes, announcing smugly, "Ah, but thees ees vhere our plan comes into play, my dear. Zee black mamba ees one of the most poisonous snakes in zee galaxy. Vhen you fight Mr. Spiegel tonight, I shall inject him vith zee poison, thus causing him to finally, at long last, perish."  
  
        Veronica's crimson lips curled upward into a devious smirk as she replied slyly, "My, I love it when you're smart. I obviously couldn't do this alone."  
  
        "You don't know how right you are, Miss Stiles," Kostian acknowledged, chuckling as he pocketed the syringe into a safe place within his jacket pocket. "You don't know HOW right you are."   
  



	7. Together Again

CH 6  
      "So I guess this means that I can't convince you to stay, huh?," Wertzy asked softly, letting out a heavy sigh as she and Edward continued to watch Spike load his guns and pack up his artillery.  
      _"Nope,"_ he replied dryly, roughly hitting a clip into his Jericho.  
      _"But you might die,"_ Wertzy insisted, her eyes widening with fear. "You don't actually want that...._do you?"  
      _Spike didn't answer.  
      _"DO YOU?!!"  
      _Spike whirled around, growling with menace, _"Quite frankly, Wertzy, I don't really GIVE A DAMN!!! The only woman that ever made me feel alive is gone, so **what's the point of living**?!!"  
      _Edward trembled as she allowed all of their bickering to settle in, asking meekly, _"Will Spike-person at least TRY to come back alive?"  
      _He nodded. _"Of course......._I'm avenging Faye's death, so I need to be alive in order to perform such a duty."  
      _"Well hurry back, Spike-person, cuz Ed is missing you, ALREADY!!!,"_ the young woman wailed, throwing herself into her tall, lanky comrade's strong arms and sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder.  
      Spike solemnly returned her fierce embrace, staring past Wertzy and out into the stardusted galaxy that the large viewport bestowed.  
      _"You're out there somewhere, sweetheart,"_ he realized, trembling amidst Edward's spindly arms as he felt his heart beat with an indelible yearning to see his lover again that he absolutely could not ignore. _"You're one of those beautiful, glimmering stars, forever doomed to shine for all of those of the galaxy. I swear to you, my sweet, I WILL avenge you, no matter WHAT the cost!!!"  
_**************************************************************************************************  
**(Rob D's "Clubbed To Death" (Kurayamino Mix) plays)**_"You're late,"_ Veronica accused, her crimson lips curling downward into a thin arch as she folded her arms in disdain.  
      _"No, I'd say that I'm just fashionably **tardy**,"_ Spike retorted, smirking as he emerged from within the dreary shadows along the restaurant rooftop. _"Beautiful weather to die in......don't you agree?"  
      _Veronica returned his smirk, gibing tartly, _"I wouldn't know, Mr. Spiegel.....you'll have to fax me from Hell to tell me ALL about it."  
      _Spike frowned. _"Stop stalling time, Veronica.....my need to spill your blood is rapidly ascending."  
      "Well then I'm afraid that you're out of luck, Spike,"_ she acknowledged, giving him a slightly feigned wink of flirtation. _"GET 'EM, KOSTIAN!!!"  
      _Spike let out a cry of surprise as two robust arms came about his neck, gradually squeezing harder with each futile attempt that he tried to struggle loose.  
       _"Veronica......y-you......liar!,"_ Spike choked in accusation, his eyes widening in pain as Kostian's taut hold about his neck only strengthened in its security. _"Y-you said that......y-you'd.....be here..........alone!"  
      _Veronica let out a terrible laugh, exclaiming scornfully, _"Oh, PLEASE! You are SUCH a FOOL!!! Did you REALLY think that I'd stay true to my word?!!"  
      "It.......was.........worth a...............shot,"_ Spike wheezed, suddenly feeling rather faint.  
      Veronica, instantly noticing this, ordered firmly, _"That's enough for now, Kostian........let him go."  
      _He obeyed, dropping Spike roughly down to the ground, thus leaving him coughing, sputtering, and gasping for air as he clutched his throat within his hand, his brow continuing to perspire profusely.  
      Veronica sneered at her hated nemesis as she stood over his shaking body, announcing smugly, _"You obviously have forgotten a villain's ways, Mr. Spiegel. I mean, why would **I**, in my right mind, comply to your **ridiculous** orders?!"  
      _Spike didn't answer.  
      _"WELL?!,"_ she demanded hotly, giving him a rough kick in the ribs. _"ANSWER ME, YOU GUTLESS BASTARD!!!"  
      _Spike slowly looked up at her through his pain, his russet-colored irises gleaming as he replied softly, _"Because we used to be friends. That usually means something to an individual."  
      _Veronica snorted. _"Well not to ME, it doesn't! If I easily had Tracey and Ayame killed, why do YOU expect to be treated any differently?!"  
      _When all Spike did was stare her down with his haunting eyes full of menace and burning hatred, she ordered loathingly, _"Kostian! FINISH HIM!!!"  
      "As you vish, my dear,"_ the ridiculously obedient assassin acknowledged, smirking as he withdrew a small battle axe from within the depths of his night-black trench coat, the pale moonlight glinting off of the razor sharp edge as he ever so slowly drew near his headstrong opponent.  
      Spike, however, was not the least bit intimidated by this sudden action, but nonetheless, he somehow found it very hard to breathe, his pulse pounding in his head like drums as he shakily rolled over off of his stomach to face his adversary.  
      Raising the battle axe up into the air in a formidable fashion, Kostian hissed with a deep, tremulous rancor, _"Zees ees for my dear sister, Anastasia! DIE, YOU COLD-BLOODED BASTARD!!!"  
      _Spike gasped, immediately reeling out of the way just as the deadly weapon came smashing down into the concrete beside him, a deep indentation left behind due to the puissant blow after Kostian gruffly removed the axe.  
      _"You can't get away ZAT easily!,"_ he growled, turning on his nemesis in an instant. _"YOU SHALL DIE ZEE DEATH ZAT YOU DESERVE!!!"  
      "Likewise,"_ Spike muttered under his breath, taking a step back as he warily placed his hand over his gun holster and awaited the assassin's next move.  
      Taking a deep breath, Kostian charged his adversary like a bull driven by waves of sheer blinded rage, Spike crying out as he lunged to the side, his foot connecting with the assassin's jaw just as his battle axe came slicing through Spike's shoulder.  
      _"Dammit!,"_ he hissed, clutching his wound in agony as he spun around on his heel, only to see Kostian storming towards him once more at top speed.  
      Immediately retrieving his Jericho from within his hip holster, Spike brought it up to level it out, only to have Kostian's battle axe come whipping through the air and collide with his firearm, metal gnashing against metal as the two struggled to gain control over the situation at hand.  
      _"Die, you monster!,"_ Kostian snarled, sending a powerful kick to Spike's stomach, thus causing him to fly back and land painfully onto the concrete roof, a nasty cut burning along his cheek as he shakily staggered back up to his feet, completely determined to see his hated adversary down to the very end.  
      _"You just don't die, DO YOU?!!,"_ Kostian demanded in frustration, rearing back and thrusting his battle axe over towards his nemesis at top speed.  
      Spike gasped, letting out a tormented cry as the incredibly sharp weapon sliced through his collar bone, thick crimson runnels of blood oozing out of the extremely painful wound and staining his yellow-collared shirt as he dropped down to his knees and clutched his fists by his sides, biting his lip in order to prevent himself from hollering in pain at the top of his lungs.  
      _"Had enough yet?,"_ Kostian demanded, a derisive hint of mockery within the triumphant tremors of his voice as he withdrew a glinting dagger from within the utility belt about his waist. _"If so, ALLOW ME TO HELP YOU BY ENDING YOUR PITIFUL EXISTENCE!!!"  
      _Spike grunted in response, wincing in pain due to his haggard, blood-stained being, Kostian chuckling sadistically as he seized him by his green, unruly locks and pulled back his head, placing the dagger beneath his throat as he prepared to slice his nemesis' throat, thus hoping to finally end his pain and suffering over losing his sister forever.  
      Spike, without Kostian's realization, had his fingers wrapped securely about the handle of the battle axe, breathing heavily as he waited for the assassin to make the first move.  
      _"Good-bye, my supposedly **undefeatable** foe,"_ Kostian hissed, his grip tightening about the dagger as he prepared to perform a clean swipe. _"I shall see you again.......IN HELL!!!"  
      CRRRING!  
      _Kostian gasped, gaping down in astonishment at his dagger, which was currently gnashing against the deadly battle axe, Spike gritting his teeth as he tried his best to hold up the weapon due to his broken collar bone and severely injured shoulder.  
      Sending a swift kick to Kostian's shins, Spike staggered up to his feet as he watched his adversary fall to the ground, immediately withdrawing his other gun from his shoulder holster and aiming it directly between his eyes.  
      _"You vouldn't hurt an unarmed man, vould you?,"_ Kostian taunted, smirking as warm blood continued to seep through the searing gashes upon his face.   
      _"Yes, actually, I **would**,"_ Spike retorted, clicking back the hammer to his firearm with indignance.  
      _"There ees no honor in zat,"_ Kostian insisted, by this point trying desperately to stay alive. _"Vhy vould you vant to disregard your honor?"  
      _Spike snorted. _"Honor has NOTHING to do with me killing an unarmed man! I am here tonight to avenge the love of my life, so you can NOT use such a pathetic excuse as that to change my mind!"  
      "Very vell,"_ Kostian acknowledged, a sly glimmer reflecting off of his pale blue irises as he sneakily withdrew the syringe that contained the poisonous black mamba serum from within his pants' pocket. _"I suppose that you are, in a sense, correct."  
      _Spike raised an eyebrow in surprise, never taking his hardset gaze off of his target as he replied, _"Yeah, I **am**, and don't you forget it!"  
      "I von't,"_ Kostian promised, a cruel sneer curling its way upon his thin lips. _"Farewell, Mr. Spiegel."  
      _Spike's eyes windened in surprise. _"What?"  
      "FAREWELL!!!,"_ Kostian reiterated with a foul, booming resonance, lunging forward with menace as he plunged the sharp, tiny shot needle into Spike's shin, cackling sadistically as he pressed down upon the injection, thus causing the toxic serum to flow into his veins and burn within them like a ragin fire.  
      _"YOU BASTARD!!!,"_ Spike roared, reaching down and pulling Kostian up by the collar to face level, rewarding him for his life of crime with powerful blows to his face from his fist.  
      Kostian just merely smirked, blood dribbling in a steady flow from his busted lips as he announced triumphantly, _"You can hit me all you vant, Mr. Spiegel, but since I have injected you vith black mamba poison, you've only got a few minutes to live!"  
      _Spike's eyes narrowed as he got his nemesis into a tight headlock, replying dryly, _"That very well may be true, Kostian, but I won't allow for you to see me die."  
      _He raised an eyebrow. _"Vhat?"  
      _Spike smirked, his grip tightening about the assassin's neck as he violently twisted it to the right, a sickening crack erupting into the night air as he mercilessly pushed the now lifeless body over the side of the building in disdain.  
      _"Bravo, Spike. You've managed to single-handedly defeat my bodyguard........**no easy task, you know**."  
      _He stiffened due to hearing the syrupy-sweet voice of the woman who had ended the life of a remarkable young woman........_his_ remarkable young woman. Turning to face his hated adversary, he replied tartly, _"You will die, as well."  
      _Veronica gasped as Spike withdrew a third gun from within his ankle holster before pausing to remove the syringe from his shin, tossing it aside to the ground as she immediately regained her composure as she retorted smugly, _"You couldn't kill me, my dear, sweet Spike. As you've said before, we were friends, so therefore that should mean something to you."  
      _His sight slightly wavering due to the injection, Spike acknowledged gruffly, _"It **should**, but it **doesn't**."  
      BANG!  
      _Veronica let out a wretched scream as the copper bullet bored its way into the vulnerable tissue of her abdomen, her legs giving way from beneath her as she toppled down to the ground, thick torrents of blood blanketing her torso as she listlessly gazed up at the glistening stars before her, the moon beaming down upon her with its bitter luminescence.  
      Before she knew it, Spike was blocking her view of the lovely glowing orb, his firearm pointed directly in her face as he pulled back the trigger and prepared to fire.  
      Veronica's deep brown eyes widened, her syrupy-sweet voice strained as she wheezed breathlessly, _"No...Spike.....DON'T DO IT! Sp-"  
      BANG! BANG!  
      BANG! BANG! BANG!  
      _Spike dropped his now empty gun to ground with a subtle clatter, immediately averting his pained, mismatched eyes up from the bloody mess at his feet to the stars that seemed to be shining brighter than ever before.  
      _"I did it, Faye,"_ Spike breathed, his body gradually shutting down due to the deadly toxin as he reached up towards the brightest, most diamond-like star and attempted to grab it. _"I've finally killed the cold-blooded bastards who wiped your beautiful being from the face of this planet. I hope you know that I still love you, me sweet, and no one can EVER change that."  
      _Letting out a pained groan, Spike doubled over and slumped down to his knees, his vision hazing over as his head began to pound with a numbing buzziness that left him drastically weary and weak.  
      Taking one last look up at the velvet sky overhead, Spike let out a pained sigh, then sprawled out along the rooftop, his precious lover's name being the last word that ever escaped his quivering lips as he gently submerged within the comforting black mist of the unknown.  
**************************************************************************************************  
      "Spike-person's been gone an _awfully_ long time," Edward murmured, staring out of the viewport with a look of sheer pain spread across her usually cheerful face. _"How much longer does Wertzy-person think he'll take?"  
      "I don't know,"_ she admitted softly, joining the young woman by the viewport before letting out a heavy sigh of depression. _"Something tells me that it won't be any time soon."  
      _Edward shot Wertzy a panicky look, wailing, _"Don't say that, Wertzy-person! Spike-person will come back........**just you wait and see**!!!"  
      "Ok.....I'm sorry,"_ Wertzy apologized, rubbing her eyes stressfully before folding her arms with skepticism as she gazed before her miserably.  
      Edward tried her best to prevent the tears that were threatening to escape, her bottom lip trembling as she realized, _"If Spike-person doesn't come back, Ed will be the only remaining member of the original Bebop crew. ED DOES NOT WANT TO BE ALONE!!!"  
      _She bit her lip as two liquid, crystal-like tears flowed down her olive, rosy cheeks, a vacant feeling eating away at the strands of her heart due to the fear of being left alone.  
      Edward overheard Wertzy gasp, so she looked over at her comrade, only to see her eyes glistening over with a gentle veil of tears as she reached out and grabbed her shoulder.  
      _"Oh my God,"_ Wertzy whispered tearfully, pointing out towards two shooting stars streaking across the sky side by side, trails of luminescent stardust trailing behind and bestowing a powdery sheen for all of the universe to behold. _"Look, Ed.................they're **finally** free."  
                                                                             SEE_ _YOU SPACE COWBOY.  
_  
A/N: ~Sniff~Yep, I'm sorry....that's it! ;_; I know it's kinda morbid, but I was hoping that you wouldn't regard it that way, haha. Um, believe it or not, I think that I wanna try other fanfics, 2....like a high school one and one where Spike awakes from a coma but keeps having flashes of a mysterious green-eyed woman that haunts his memories until he finds her. Since I LOVE writing these fanfics SO much, if u've got a suggestion or sumthing that you'd like 4 me 2 write, I'll b GLAD 2 do it. Heck, I'll even make ya a main character, if you'd like! ^.~ Welp, thank u so much 4 all of your support, despite the fact that I haven't had that many reviews, haha, but....thanx, again! Byez...take care, guyz! ^.~          



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